Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has dropped a teasing Gunners transfer hint ahead of the looming January window, with the prospect of fresh faces coming to N5 looking well and truly on the cards.

Arsenal face Everton this afternoon in crucial Premier League clash

Arteta’s side have yet another must-win Premier League game on the horizon as they prepare to face struggling Merseysiders Everton at the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta thinks £192k-per-week star is "perfect" as Arsenal ready January move

The Spaniard is apparently in awe of him.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 13, 2024

Title rivals Liverpool are currently six points ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand, while Enzo Maresca’s high-flying Chelsea side are currently above the north Londoners and appear firm contenders for this year’s domestic crown as things stand.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea are on a run of four wins from their last five Premier League matches, so Arsenal face stiff competition as Arteta attempts to end the club’s two-decade-long wait for a title.

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

Ipswich Town (home)

December 27

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

By contrast, Arsenal returned from the last international break in fine form, but they’ve also failed to score from open play in their last two top flight games and disappointingly dropped points away to Fulham last weekend.

Arteta has been dealt a plethora of injuries to key senior players throughout the first half of 2024/2025, which certainly hasn’t helped their overall form, with Arsenal set to be minus Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu for their clash against Everton at 15:00.

However, there is a chance star defender Gabriel Magalhaes could return to the fold against Everton, which is great news for Arteta.

Alongside the aforementioned, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey, Mikel Merino, Jurrien Timber, Kieran Tierney, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have all picked up injuries at various points so far this term, highlighting just how unlucky they’ve been when it comes to player fitness.

Understandably, supporters are eager to hear whether their side plan to use the January window as a means to reinforce Arteta’s options heading into the second half of this crucial campaign.

Reports suggest that Arsenal have held initial talks over January signings already, with Arteta now sharing further comment on their potential activity next month.

Mikel Arteta drops teasing Arsenal transfer hint ahead of January

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, when asked about what the club could do when the window reopens in just over two weeks, Arteta said that Arsenal are prepared for January and there could be “some surprises”.

“I never expect January to be super busy, but we have to wait and see where we are,” said Arteta on the prospect of winter deals at Arsenal.

“Some surprises can come, we are prepared for that, some opportunities as well, and we have to see. Hopefully the squad availability is going to be better in a few weeks so we will have to wait and see.”

The 42-year-old is clearly not ruling out new signings for Arsenal in what could be seen as a very encouraging update, amid claims that interim sporting director Jason Ayto is plotting to bring in a new forward.