By ISAAN KHAN
Published: 07:00 EST, 29 December 2025 | Updated: 07:00 EST, 29 December 2025
Mikel Arteta claimed that Arsenal are open to signing players in January — if their injury crisis does not subside.
A number of absentees have returned this month, including Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Yet Arsenal now have Kai Havertz, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Max Dowman all on the sidelines currently.
It has left the north London club having to get inventive in recent weeks to fill gaping holes in the backline, such as playing Christian Norgaard or Declan Rice there.
When asked about whether there is space in the squad for a new defender in the January window, Arteta said: ‘Depending on the availability of certain players, so the window is there.
‘I mean, we're Arsenal and we have to be looking at it like, “OK, What do we need?”
‘And we have to be actively looking, and then can we do it or not. That's a different story, but our job is to be always very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully very positive.’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits the league leaders could look to strengthen in January
Arteta wants his side to use the pain of defeat at Villa Park as motivation against Aston Villa
On how he will assess whether this is needed, he added: ‘We’re going to be really aware of the situation and the timescale of certain players. Going from the front line then to the back line, that's the depth that you need, and when you look across the other clubs as well, they have 24, 25 squad players.
‘The thing is that although we have more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable I would say, but we want to be better and we know how important the part of having the right availability of players it going to play in this season.’
Premier League leaders Arsenal face third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday looking to avenge the last-gasp 2-1 defeat they suffered earlier in December.
Unai Emery’s side are just two points behind their rivals and know a second victory in the space of a month would be a significant psychological blow.
It has left Arteta wanting to make them ‘suffer’ at the Emirates and for his players to watch back the loss for motivation.
‘What we want is that every opponent that comes here suffers, and we are as dominant as we were today (against Brighton). Against Villa we have a really tough match,’ he said.
‘We'll watch it back, I have a few ideas and things that we have to do better. it was quite cruel as well the way we lost it, but yeah, we learned from it.
‘If you use that motivation and that hunger in the right manner (by watching it back), for sure.’