Mikel Arteta sends out thinly-veiled transfer plea and bemoans lack of ‘goals’ – as Arsenal boss offers William Saliba injury update

A frustrated Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal side lacks “targets and options” in a feigned vision plea to ownership for signings in the January transfer window.

The north London club have long been linked with a number of strikers, with those calls escalating this month over mixed performances and injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

The highly influential Saka is not expected to return until the end of March and Jesus is away for months.

That comes on top of the Gunners’ 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and crashing out of the FA Cup third round on penalties at Manchester United earlier this month.

Ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League match against Wolves on Saturday, Arteta said: ‘My opinion is clear. We lost two very important players in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesús. We lack objectives, we lack people and we lack options. It’s empty.

‘If we can get the right player, that’s why we are actively looking at it (the market). Any players? No. Someone who makes us better. Ideally, we need help because we were already very short, and now we are even shorter, but the team does it.

“Yes (there is work in progress now).

Arteta confirmed that both Myles Lewis-Skelly and William Saliba could play on Saturday, but will definitely be available next week.

Lewis-Skelly picked up a minor knee injury in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa last weekend, while Saliba suffered a knee problem against Tottenham earlier this month.

Ben White is not yet available.

“With Myles there is nothing serious with the scan, so it will be a matter of today’s meeting with the medical staff and our training session,” he added.

‘We’ll see if it’s too soon or not.

‘With Willy (Saliba), it’s also something similar. I think it will definitely be in next week, but for this week let’s see how it goes.