Inside Arsenal's January window: Why Mikel Arteta made no signings

Steve Kay

Updated: 12 Feb 2025 16:16 GMT
3 min read

Kai Havertz, Mikel Arteta, Ollie Watkins — © IMAGO

Arsenal fans have been left frustrated by the club’s lack of activity in the January transfer window, especially following injuries to key players like Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus - both now ruled out for the season - along with long-term concerns over Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

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But while the frustration is understandable, the reality is that the Gunners were never in a position to make a signing that suited their long-term plans.

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s recruitment team did explore options. Dusan Vlahovic was considered, and talks were held with Juventus over a loan deal.

However, the Serie A side insisted on an obligation to buy, which Arsenal weren’t willing to commit to, given their focus on securing their primary striker targets in the summer.

Similarly, conversations took place with RB Leipzig regarding Benjamin Sesko - Arsenal’s priority signing for the next window. Both the player and Leipzig preferred to see out the season before revisiting discussions in the summer.

Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel was another name discussed, but the young French forward wanted guarantees over game time - something Arsenal couldn’t promise at this stage.

Finally, and contrary to reports, Arsenal never made a bid for Ollie Watkins. It was merely a phone conversation between the clubs in which the Gunners informed Aston Villa that they were willing to pay up to £40 million for the England international.

A fee of £60m was never mentioned as Arsenal wanted to keep enough funds available for the summer. Aston Villa, for their part, made it clear that Watkins wasn’t for sale.

Arsenal stick to their long-term vision

Some supporters have directed blame toward the club’s ownership and interim sporting director Jason Ayto, but in reality, Arsenal believe that they were right not to make a panic signing.

Bringing in a potentially lesser-quality player just for the sake of adding depth would have had a knock-on effect on their ability to land their top targets in the summer.

Instead of making a rushed decision, Arsenal opted to trust the squad that propelled them into the title race while keeping their finances and plans intact for a major investment in the less frantic and more calculable upcoming window.

Time will tell if it was the right call, but for now, the club remain firmly focused on their long-term ambitions rather than short-term fixes.