Mikel Arteta already eyeing summer spree to bolster Arsenal squad after quiet January

Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal will need to work on a major recruitment drive this summer to bolster their squad.

Arsenal allowed six first-team players to leave in January, either on loan or permanently, and more could depart at the end of the season, too.

Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny will all be out of contract in summer and currently none of them are expected to sign an extension.

Arteta has described his current squad, which has 18 outfield players with Premier League experience, as “short of options” but with “much better balance” after they failed to sign anyone for the first team in January.

And the Spaniard is well aware that work will need to take place in the summer to add to the current squad, particularly if Arsenal are back in Europe.

“This is not happening in one or two windows unfortunately, but I think we are on the right path and I really believe so,” said Arteta.

“We are going to have some contracts that are ending [in the summer] and we are going to have to make a decision regarding where we are and we have the option to do that.

“We have players on loan that we are developing as well to understand where they can be and how much of a contribution they can have in the squad and obviously we are going to have to sign players in the summer, that’s without a question of a doubt.

“That’s something that we discuss here internally, with Edu personally all the time, with the team.

“You have to raise those ideas and the vision you have towards the owners, which are completely in line and they have been extremely supportive with us.”

Arsenal are pushing to be in the Champions League next season and are in the hunt to finish in the top four.

They are back in action on Thursday at Wolves after a mid-season break, and where the Gunners finish in the Premier League this season will undoubtedly impact their spending in the summer.

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“Everything helps, because the financial position is going to be determined by how good we are, with the team performances, where we finish,” Arteta said.

“Obviously that will help our sponsorship, our marketing, our ticketing sales. It’s just a ball that rolls constantly.

“Where it starts is how good we do on that pitch, and to do good on that pitch what do we do? We have the right ideas, the right environment, the right players to perform, so it is something that we have to fit all the time.”

Arsenal did try to bolster their squad in January, tracking strikers such as Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dusan Vlahovic.

In the end, however, they were unable to secure deals for any of their leading targets and decided to bide their time.

Arteta has often been bullish about players’ desire to play for the Gunners and he remains adamant they can attract top stars.

“We have the tradition,” he said. “What the club inspires, what we are as a club is enormous.

“Everybody wants to play for Arsenal. I haven’t had one time on the phone to a player, a member of staff, someone from recruitment, doesn’t want to join Arsenal. That’s for sure.

“Then if they go for financial reasons, that’s something else, but the willingness to come and be part of this, yeah, I haven’t experienced something different, I’m sorry. And I’m really glad.”

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