Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal may need to go and sign another midfielder with rumours over a deal for Weston McKennie accelerating.
Mohamed Elneny picked up a knee injury earlier this month and missed games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Whilst Elneny isn’t a key player, he offers key depth in the holding midfield position.
Thomas Partey needs cover and competition and without Elneny, Arsenal’s midfield depth may not quite be good enough to maintain top spot.
Arteta realises this and has told Arseblog that Arsenal now need to add ‘more cover in midfield’, but understands that can be difficult in a January window.
Arteta doesn’t want to be left short in the engine room and it will now be over to Edu to try and find a signing to help replace the injury Elneny.
“Well, we need some more cover in midfield if we can but obviously in this market, it’s pretty complicated to do that,” said Arteta. “As I always say, the most important thing is that we get the performances and the time on the pitch that we need with the players we have available today that are already really good,” he added.
Mikel Arteta comments come as Arsenal target Weston McKennie
Elneny is a big miss in terms of Arsenal’s squad depth and the Gunners are being linked with multiple midfielders.
Everton star Amadou Onana has been heavily linked this week but he figures to be a very expensive target in the final days of the window.
The biggest rumour right now surrounds Juventus ace Weston McKennie.
Corriere Dello Sport report that Arsenal have been making moves to try and hijack Leeds United’s move for McKennie.
Fabrizio Romano reported earlier today that McKennie had accepted a contract offer from Leeds, who were discussing the terms of a deal with Juve.
Yet with Arsenal now realising that Elneny is going to be out a little longer than expected, they are now making moves.
McKennie has been utilised as more of a box-to-box midfielder in his career, rather than the sole holding role Partey plays in under Arteta.
That makes McKennie something of a surprise target for Arsenal but maybe Arteta and Edu have seen major potential in the United States international to play a deeper role.
A deal doesn’t sound imminent but Arteta publicly stating that he wants another midfielder does add some weight to the McKennie rumours.
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