Read every word from the broadcast section of Iraola's press conference below.
**Jeremy Langdon (Sky Sports News): The transfer window is open and it could be a busy one. Julian Araujo has gone to Celtic. What can you say about that move?**
Andoni Iraola: Yes, I think it was the position that probably we had more specific players because we have Alex Jimenez, Adam Smith and also players like James Hill and Lewis Cook who have performed there. So the issue was that we didn't have these international loans. So we have to recall Dom Sadi, but I think Julian, because he has been also a top, top professional without playing. So he deserves the chance to get some more minutes in these six months at Celtic.
**JL: Does he still have a future at Bournemouth?**
AI: I think, and I value a lot what he has done in these months where he has basically just played the cup game. I think he's a top professional, top professional and I think he needs probably more consistent minutes to recover the form that he has shown previously in other clubs, even with us when he started. And I hope he does really well and he can come back in the summer fighting for the position. Yes.
**JL: And what's the squad news for Arsenal, Cook and Christie, are they okay?**
AI: I think with Ryan is going to be more difficult. I think Ryan still has some issues and it's definitely not going to be available tomorrow. With Lew, we are still waiting. No, it's the neck, it’s depending the pain that he feels. He will try to train today and let's hope he's available tomorrow. Yes.
**JL: And is Semenyo going to play in this match?**
AI: Yes. Antoine is going to play. Yes.
**JL: Is it his last match for Bournemouth?**
AI: No. No. I think the idea at least that he's going to be available in these two home games we will have in a very short turnaround and I hope he can be here more time, but I don't know what's going to happen.
**JL: But you say a game against Arsenal will not be his farewell to the Bournemouth fans on Saturday.**
AI: No, that's not the idea. When the market is open, you never know what's going to happen because you. I cannot control the. The things. But if you ask me right now, I don't think. No.
**JL: All the reports are suggesting, though, that a deal has been agreed. They're not announced. Is that not right?**
AI: No, there is nothing signed. There is nothing signed. For sure, there are conversations. I understand a lot of the noise around, but there is nothing silent. Antoine is our player and I hope, obviously I've said it a lot of times, I want to keep him for a lot of time, but I don't know what's going to happen.
**JL: Obviously you've been speaking with him as well. What does he want to do? What's his mood?**
AI: He's playing very well. I think he's doing the right things. I think he's a top professional, top guy. He wants to help the team, he wants to help the teammates. And I have no doubts, no doubts that he will do his best. There's no doubt with him.
**JL: Does he want to go?**
AI: You have to ask him. I don't know. I know what I want, but I think Antoine is behaving really, really well. There is a lot of noise around him and he's been a top professional and I. I'm sure he will be until the last day. Yes.
**JL: And if you do lose him, he's going to be tough to replace. He's your leading scorer and I mean, how do you replace him?**
AI: Obviously, I think has been a massive player for us, massive player, not only this season, but, you know, everyone has to give their best, if we lose Antoine, definitely it’s going to be a massive hit, you know, but you have to move on. It's like this football.
**JL: And if he does move on, will you have the full amount or a big amount of money to buy a replacement?**
AI: Definitely we are not going to lose him for nothing, I suppose. No, if lose him is because the. The club agrees that is a good deal for the club. Yes, definitely.
**JL: Chelsea was the last game and after that game Enzo Maresca lost his job. What was your reaction to that?**
AI: Surprise because it's true that the other day I couldn't talk to him after the game. We talked after the game we played here three, four weeks ago and we're talking about the situations, the issues we always have with some situations. But no, nothing I didn't expect.
**JL: And they're looking for a replacement and some people are reporting they're considering you. If Chelsea came to you and said, be our next head coach, what would you say?**
AI: No, no, I am very happy here. My issue is not about these things, it's about solving a little bit, I want to improve the situation we have right now in this run. I think we still have a decent amount of points, but we are in a situation where everything is costing us to win games. We are drawing a lot of games and this is my worry and this is what my focus is on. Yes, definitely.
**JL: And it's 10 games without a win and it's the Premier League leaders coming. You beat them twice last season. Can you do it again?**
AI: I know it's not going to be easy. And they've been unbelievable this season. I think they are a team that you can compare them with anyone offensively, but probably defensively, without the ball, they are elite. They are the best team in the league. They don't concede chances and there is a reason they are top of the league. I think they've been really, really close past years and now they are getting better. They are being more complete squad with more depth with trying to make it happen and win the league. And they are on their way. Yes.
**JL: What do you think they have, which they maybe didn't have the last few seasons? And do you think they are the Champions elect?**
AI: I think they are. Right now they've been the best team until today. They are very complete. They have also incredible squad depth. They have now they've recovered also Gabriel Jesus, Havertz up front. So they can use their striker in different ways. Now recovering also Odegaard. They can use him sometimes, it's not the same when they play with Eze or they play with Odegaard. So now they have a lot of options. They can also alter the games during half time after the subs. And they've created a culture, I think Mikel has created a culture of being an elite team and having the humility from the players also to work a lot, to do all the stuff that you need to win games. And that's the reason mainly that they are so good.
**Paul Belverstone (Premier League Productions): How particularly impressed were you with the way they took Aston Villa apart?**
AI: I think it's not just because the game against Aston Villa. Overall, I think you see a lot of Arsenal games and the opposition doesn't even arrive. It's not like they don't have a lot of shots or they don't even arrive. They control the games and they don't allow you to do a lot of things. The defenders are, I think, top level and I think you have to be really clinical because nobody gets chances almost against Arsenal. So the times you arrive, you have to punish them because they are a team used to control the games with the ball, without the ball. They are very, very solid and sometimes you feel okay. They have very good forwards, but I think every time we recover we can have chance against other teams. Against Arsenal, it looks always more difficult because they have always very good structure, very good players defending for, for transition and it's always more difficult.
**PB: They have so many good players as you've mentioned and I know he's only been back for one game, but they did have to battle for their wins recently and then Gabrielle comes back at the back. How big a difference from what you've seen, how big a difference does he make to them?**
AI: Obviously Saliba and Gabriel have been their main centre back partnership for the last years and they've been amazing. But also I would say the ones they've signed this season, Hincapie, Mosquera, they perform so well, you know that still with some injuries, they've kept their performance levels. Obviously now with Gabriel even a bigger threat in set plays that they've been scoring loads of goals on set play. So it's definitely going to be a challenge for us. But also in our games last season, I think we scored also a couple of set plays against them. Sometimes a team that doesn't give you a lot of things in open play, you have to use these set play situations also to try to punish them.
**PB: They're leading the way in their own goals from set plays again. So, you know, with both of those things in mind, have you spent any extra time in the short spell you've had between Chelsea and now?**
AI: Yes, and I would say something consistent. It's not just this season. Some teams, okay, they have a run of goals from set plays. I think Arsenal consistently last three seasons, I would say that I've been here have been, if not the best, the second best team in every single season and they are very consistent also how they approach them and even if you know more or less what they are going to do, it's difficult to defend. We always try. All the teams are trying to put them under difficulties, but they are physically very strong and definitely it's going to be a key part of the game. We will work like every team does, but it's a matter sometimes getting to the right spots, having the aggressivity to, to attack the ball and I hope we can do it. The other day, I think against Chelsea, we did a very good job in that department. We scored also two set piece goals from long throws and are things that they definitely help you to take points.
**PB: And I don't expect you to give away any secrets, but have you spotted anything re watching the two wins against Arsenal last year that you're going to hammer home to your players this one that could be useful for this game?**
AI: I think especially us we've changed a lot. So we cannot use a lot of things from the games we played against them past season. I think we have to analyse more the games they are playing lately. They keeping not the same structure, same system, but they always make adjustments. And we will have to use the references of the. Their last games that they've been really, really good.
**PB: You’ve often told us ignore the table until halfway. So how do you rate 23 points in 19 games?**
AI: I think we would like to have a couple more, at least to leave a little bit more space to the relegation spots. I think it's a dangerous situation because of the nine points to relegation. You can feel okay, it's a good distance. But West Ham is a very good team and they will win games and they've already signed, I think, two players in the first of January. So we cannot just be looking at West Ham. No, no. We have to do our job, win our points, and that's our main focus. I think what we want right now is to not get involved in that relegation battle. And for this we need to get points. Now, the challenge, especially in this January month, I think is even harder in the sense that we are, you know, the schedule we have, but we have to find a way to get points. I think the other day, the performance and even the point against Chelsea was a good start of this difficult period, but we have to keep performing like this to have chances against the next opposition, starting from tomorrow.
**PB: And you've just told Jeremy you're very, very happy here. I know that's talking about future, asking about that. I just wonder, in this difficult run of results you've had, how level have your emotions been when you've had the sort of the positivity of the Chelsea, Man United form and then you've had the downs of Brentford and Everton. How have you been in this period?**
AI: I think it's a period where I've said it a lot of times, but it's true. Everything is costing us a lot. You know, last five games is four draws and four draws. They don't give you a lot. It's better than nothing, obviously, to take four points, but they don't put you where you were, where you want. Sorry. And you have to continue pushing, trying to avoid performances like Brentford. This is what we want to avoid because we've been really competitive, I think, in the sense that we have a lot of draws. We don't have a lot of. We've lost six games. That is not, you know, I'm sure that teams very high in the table have the same losses as us, but it's costing us to make these draws, wins and point by point is difficult. Yes.
**PB: So what does that do to you though, when you're at home, when you're in the car?**
AI: Find ways to make these small details that cost us. I think the draw against Burnley in the last minute was a hard one for us because it was a matter of we would be here in a much, much better situation just without that goal. But is football and you have to accept these things. And I'm sure we will find games that probably we don't play as well and we find a way to win them.