Mikel Arteta makes Kai Havertz admission after Arsenal's failure to sign new striker

Mikel Arteta has spoken retired astir Arsenal's nonaccomplishment to motion a caller striker, with Kai Havertz the lone frontline striker connected their books with Gabriel Jesus retired injured

Mikel Arteta has backed Kai Havertz aft Arsenal failed to motion a caller striker successful the January transportation window.

Arteta had been vocal astir his tendency to fortify his attacking options pursuing superior injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. However, a big-money connection for Ollie Watkins was rejected by Aston Villa, portion Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel decided to join Tottenham connected loan contempt involvement from Arsenal.

As a result, Havertz is the lone frontline striker Arteta has astatine his disposal, with Jesus expected to miss the remainder of the play due to an ACL injury. And erstwhile asked if helium believes Havertz volition thrive successful the 2nd fractional of the play arsenic Arsenal's sole striker, Arteta said: "Well, I deliberation Kai has played truthful galore games and it's been truthful important erstwhile different players, immoderate large players arsenic well, were available.

"It's not due to the fact that a subordinate is not coming and his presumption is going to beryllium much important. From my opinion, there's thing to bash with that."

Reflecting connected Arsenal's nonaccomplishment to bring successful a caller striker, Arteta admitted helium was "disappointed" by that fact. "We had a wide volition which is ever determination is simply a model unfastened to research the opportunities to amended our squad with players that tin interaction it," helium explained.

"We haven't achieved it truthful we are disappointed successful that consciousness but arsenic good we are precise alert that we lone privation to bring definite benignant of players and we person to beryllium precise disciplined with that arsenic good and I deliberation that we will.

"We're going to person to beryllium precise flexible successful the beforehand enactment and present the ones that we person and are fit, marque definite that they enactment acceptable and they support contributing. Leo [Trossard] tin play successful that position.

"Raheem [Sterling] has played successful that position. Ethan [Nwaneri], I think, tin play successful that position. [Gabriel] Martinelli tin play there. Let's spot successful narration to however everybody is, moment, opponent, but astatine immoderate point, I deliberation we're going to person to effort thing different."

Arsenal are acceptable to instrumentality to enactment connected Wednesday erstwhile they instrumentality connected Newcastle successful the 2nd limb of their Carabao Cup tie, with the Gunners hoping to overturn a 2-0 shortage from the archetypal limb and scope the final.

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