Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal's summer transfer business, stating he has no regrets after the club sold three forwards and signed just one replacement. The Arsenal manager addressed his squad options ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Chelsea, insisting the current group contains "very good players."
According to a report from The Athletic, Arsenal generated over €100 million from the sales of Gabriel Martinelli to Al Hilal for €70 million, Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for €20 million, and Gabriel Jesus to Barcelona for around €10 million. Their sole attacking addition was Greek winger Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge for €40 million. Arteta was asked directly if he regretted the net reduction in forward numbers.
"No," Arteta said. "The selling of players can come from different aspects as well. It's not always the same one. That's part of the responsibility we have at the football club." He pointed to the need to analyze playing time and injury records, particularly from the first half of last season. "We have to understand the amount of minutes players played and the ones that were injured, especially in the first six months. The data shows something completely different but it is what it is."## What are Arsenal's current forward options? With those departures, Arsenal's primary attacking options have shifted."With Gabi, I have gratitude," Arteta stated. "It's been a pleasure to work with him and be part of his journey. The Gabi I met and the one that just left had a huge transformation both personally and professionally. The impact he had for the club, his ambition, his love for the game and the way he has helped us to grow and achieve our goals, he has been a critical player. The story ends, and we wish him all the best in a different one."## How did injuries influence the sales? The manager's reference to data and minutes played relates directly to last season's injury issues."This is what we have and we already have some very good players,"he concluded.
