Mikel Arteta: ‘Arsenal looking to bolster squad in January’

• Mikel says club will be “looking to strengthen” in January transfer window.
• Arteta’s side lead Premier League by 5 points from Manchester City.
• William won’t play either because he hasn’t yet returned from international duty.

Leaders in the Premier League Arsenal will look to add players in the January transfer window, but they must find those with the proper traits, manager Mikel Arteta said on Thursday.

After 14 games, the Gunners led champions Manchester City by five points, but Gabriel Jesus, a long-term injury casualty, will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a knee injury acquired in Qatar.

Before West Ham United’s visit, Arteta told reporters,“We’re going to be active (in the January window) and that means we’re looking to strengthen the team,”

“This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not needing to maximise in every window. But it has to be the right player.

“We know where we are in terms of the squad and numbers. We’ll be extremely cautious about what we want to do in the window.”

Jesus‘ loss and the lack of a timetable for his return to action, according to Arteta, was a devastating blow. Winger Reiss Nelson’s hamstring ailment will probably keep him out for a long, although offensive midfielder Emile Smith Rowe is getting closer to making his comeback from a groyne injury.

“With Gabi it’s difficult to put a time frame. Knowing him I prefer not to give any dates,” Arteta added.

“With Reiss, he’s going to be out for a while (weeks). Emile is close. He had a setback but he’s close.”

William Saliba, a centre defender for France, won’t play either because he hasn’t yet returned from international duty.

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