Mikel Arteta has expressed his “disappointment” over Arsenal’s lack of activity in the January transfer window, following a quiet month for the club.
Despite being open to exploring opportunities across various positions, the Gunners did not make any new signings. Arsenal had closely monitored centre-back Vitor Reis and met with midfielder Sverre Nypan, but Reis ultimately joined Manchester City, while Nypan decided to delay his decision until the summer.
The club also turned their focus to a striker, submitting a £40m offer for Ollie Watkins, which was rejected by Aston Villa. After that, Arsenal’s pursuit of attacking targets fizzled out, with only brief interest in Mathys Tel.
“We had a clear intention, which is always that when a window opens, we explore opportunities to improve our squad with players who can have an impact,” Arteta told reporters on Tuesday. “We haven’t achieved it, so we are disappointed in that sense, but we are also very aware that we only want to bring in certain kinds of players, and we have to be disciplined with that. I think we were.”
Reports suggest that missing out on Reis—who had been considered the most likely target for Arsenal in the autumn—came down to internal discussions about the best use of available resources. With key players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus sidelined with injuries, Arteta questioned whether spending nearly £30m on Reis would have significantly improved the squad in the short term.
The Gunners then shifted focus to Watkins, offering £40m to Aston Villa, which fell short of their asking price. Villa’s stance on selling Watkins hardened after they completed the signing of Jhon Duran, who moved to Al Nassr.
