Arsenal's Mikel Arteta expects difficult January transfer window

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club do not have much room to manoeuvre in the January transfer window and may have to offload players before they can add to the first-team squad. German playmaker Mesut Ozil is currently frozen out of the side and could be one of the players to leave the club.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes the club will be operating on a tight budget in the January transfer window.

Arsenal are said to be looking for a creative midfielder, with RB Salzburg's Dominik Szoboszlai and Olympique Lyonnais' Houssem Aouar among the options on the club's shortlist, while Arteta would also like to reinforce at the back.

Shkodran Mustafi has again failed to be impress and has been linked with a move to Barcelona, while WIlliam Saliba is frustrated at his lack of game time.

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"We are planning, talking with (technical director) Edu and with the club about the things we can do in January," Arteta told reporters.

"But at the moment it's pretty difficult, unpredictable as well. In terms of places, we are very restricted in the moment.

"We will need to do something knowing the limitations of that market in January and the limitations we have as well to sign players."

Arsenal, who lost to Wolverhampton Wanders on Sunday, are 14th in the Premier League after 10 games and Arteta said they were not on track to meet their objectives.

"It's not acceptable and we have to change it," he said. "We can say, 'Yeah but the referee did that, he didn't score, we should have done that’, but this is where we are."

Arsenal, who have already qualified for the Europa League knockout stages, host Rapid Vienna in Group B later on Thursday.

The club have struggled to integrate Nicolas Pepe who arrived from Lille for aorund £70 million, as their transfer strategy has yet to payoff.

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