‘We are active in the market, we are looking at different options’: Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal are still seeking reinforcements amid interest in Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang closes in on new deal
- Mikel Arteta is still eyeing additions this summer in his role as Arsenal manager
- The Gunners boss has so far added Brazilian’s Willian and Gabriel Magalhaes
- Arsenal continue to be linked with Houseem Aouar and Thomas Partey
- Arteta also commented on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s contract talks
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that the club are still hunting reinforcements in the transfer market.
So far, the Spanish coach has added to his squad with the free transfer of Willian from Chelsea and the £27m acquisition of defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.
But the Gunners continue to be linked with a host of top names, including Lyon’s Houssem Aouar and Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey in midfield – and Arteta admitted the club are still ‘active in the market.’
Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that Arsenal are still active in this summer’s transfer window
The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar
Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder Thomas Partey is another who could move to Arsenal
‘We are looking at different options. I would say we are active in the market for players in and out,’ he said, in his pre-match press conference before their Premier League opener at Fulham on Saturday.
‘At the moment the squad balance is not the ideal we want to achieve so there is still some work to do.
‘We have to bear in mind the complication with this transfer market and the complexity and the timing, because you can see that clubs are behaving in many different ways and it is a little bit uncertain how this will work in the next few weeks.
‘It is going to be very difficult to achieve what we want in one window or two windows.
‘It is a process, it has to evolve and most importantly it has to be a sustainable model that we can consistently feed in using our academy players.’
Meanwhile, Arteta confirmed that fans need not be concerned about the future of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite the fact he is yet to sign an extension to his current deal which expires next summer.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to sign a new contract with Arsenal worth £250,000 a week
‘I can say that I am even more confident than I was at the end of last season when you asked me the same question 10 times!’ Arteta said, when asked about the 31-year-old’s future.
‘I am very optimistic. I think [those fans who are worried] can be pretty relaxed!’
Latest reports claim that Aubameyang will sign a new deal at the Emirates worth £250,000-a-week, in an improved contract running until 2023.
