Arsenal’s January transfer priority pinpointed

David Lynch

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 1 min read

Signing a creative midfielder must be Mikel Arteta’s priority going into the next transfer window, according to Arsenal legend Ian Wright.

The Gunners have already suffered four Premier League defeats this season, the latest coming at the hands of Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arteta’s side have generally looked solidly defensively, but have struggled to consistently threaten opponents at the other end of the pitch.

And it is for that reason that Wright, who scored 185 goals for the north London club, believes a creative spark is required.

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“Mikel is going to want the players he wants to come in to implement what he wants but at the same time, the effort and output, from a team that was rested, was nowhere near good enough,” he told BBC’s Match of the Day 2.

“A Villa team that is coming there and you know they’re going to press you, you need to press your game upon them.

“Yes, there is a lacking of a central midfielder who can create and that’s what he needs.

“But at the same time, you can’t go into a game with that type of attitude and expect to win it.”