Gabriel Martinelli admits Bukayo Saka is “irreplaceable” while Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal will consider reinforcements in January.
The Gunners will be without their star winger for an extended period after suffering a hamstring injury during the recent win over Crystal Palace – a problem that required surgery.
Saka has always been a leading figure for the north London team, but they managed just fine without him on New Year's Day when they left Brentford. Arsenal fell behind early but eventually walked away with a 3-1 win, with goals from Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, both of whom have stepped up in recent weeks amid the team's problems in the final third.
Martinelli was full of praise for his absent teammate after the match, admitting they couldn't replace Saka if they tried, but they will all step in to try to fill the void as Arteta considers dipping into the market in the coming weeks . . Martinelli said: “No one can replace him. He is one of the best players in the world. We trust ourselves and we will do our best for the club.”
Saka has often been one of Arsenal's most influential players on the pitch, scoring nine goals, a figure surpassed only by Kai Havertz. The January transfer window is two days old and Arteta's immediate plans are to try and maximize what he already has in north London as they hunt for league leaders Liverpool.
In terms of attacking talent, he can call on Martinelli, Jesus, Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling. The latter's minutes have been limited as Saka's injury could open the door for more opportunities. However, Arsenal is not completely closed to business. Arteta said: “Right now we are taking care of the players and getting the best out of them. Right now our focus is on our players. I really love my players and I believe in what we have because there is a lot of quality and dedication is.” .”
He went on to say that they will remain open-minded, which they proved when they added Sterling on deadline day in the summer. “Let's see,” he added, “if there is an opportunity, we will look at it.”
Arteta is said to have lined up an eight-man hit list with a striker as his priority. Alexander Isak and Nico Williams are among the players on their radar.
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