Arteta 'sure' Arsenal will do more business before summer transfer window closes

Mikel Arteta is "sure" that Arsenal will be involved in transfer business of some sort before the end of the summer window, but the Gunners boss admits that any further deals are likely to go down to the wire.

Three fresh faces have been welcomed to Emirates Stadium over recent weeks, with Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga joining the ranks in north London.

Further additions have been speculated on, particularly in the goalkeeping and playmaking departments, and Arteta is keeping his options open on the arrivals front.

What has been said?

The Arsenal boss has told reporters when quizzed on his plans ahead of a 2021-22 Premier League season opener against Brentford on Friday: "Well, in this first period of the transfer window I think we’ve done a few things we wanted to do and it’s going to help us to get the squad in a much better place. There is still a bit of the window to go, so I’m sure things will happen either way.

"I’m willing to work with the players that I have at the moment and get the best out of them, and we will see what we can do.

"We are talking about probably the most difficult transfer market in this industry over the last years for sure and we are trying to adapt. The club, the owners and myself, we all have the same interests, which is to make this team much stronger and we know that we still have things to do to get what we want.

"Things take time and there are all the time different parties and different interests there to get deals done. For sure we are trying to do what we can and as important as that is to make sure that the squad is healthy and we have the stability within that squad, which is something that we certainly missed last year after December so that is important as well."

Arteta added: "[Money is tight] for every club at the moment, we have an ownership that is willing to invest in the team and they want to get the team better and with bigger aims and we are trying to find the balance because at the same time we need to be really careful because we need 100 per cent a position that is sustainable and will help the club.

"Anything is possible and there is still a lot of things to be done and a lot of clubs involved and you can see that things have started to move at a different speed in the last week or so. It's been a really difficult transfer window and probably a lot of things will happen in the last week or so."

What is the priority for Arsenal?

The Gunners have been heavily linked with the likes of James Maddison and Martin Odegaard when it comes to creative additions, while Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is an option to have been explored between the sticks.

Asked for an update on his search for a shot-stopper, Arteta said: "I cannot tell you today I have no answers to that."

Pressed further on whether a No.1 is his top priority, the Spaniard added: "No, I wouldn't say that. It is trying to do what we have to do and it's not about the player or the position it's about where the squad should be finishing. That's what I would pick for the squad, the squad that we're going to have at the end of this transfer window. That is what I would be doing."

Could there be departures from the Emirates?

While looking to get more bodies on board, Arsenal are also in a position where funds could be freed up by sales.

Joe Willock is among those edging towards the exits, as Newcastle look to bring a former loan star back onto their books, and Arteta is ruling nothing out there either.

He said on potential departures before August 31: "I think everything is related to who we bring in, who is out, our capacity to hold foreign players in the squad. There are a lot of question marks still to be resolved. It's still pretty open."

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