Arteta not ruling out Arsenal signing a free agent to help deal with attacking injury crisis | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has not ruled out bringing in a free agent signing to help deal with Arsenal’s injury crisis.

Kai Havertz’s injury means Arteta is down to just three fit first-team attacking options in Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri.

The Germany international suffered a hamstring injury while training in Dubai during Arsenal’s break from action and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

It was another big blow for Arteta, who is also without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.

Saka is still in the early stages of his recovery from a hamstring injury while Martinelli is also out with a hamstring problem.

Jesus, meanwhile, is out for the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury.

And Arteta says signing a free agent remains a possibility.

“We will explore every possible situation and make a decision from there,” Arteta said.

But the Arsenal boss insists anyone coming in has to be at the level of the rest of the squad.

He added: “Certain ability? An ability to play at our level. Then it is somebody that we recognise can support and impact the team.”

Arteta says Havertz’s injury came as a huge shock to him and the team given the nature of how it happened.

“He was going to stop a shot after a set-piece, he stretched the leg and he felt his hamstring,” Arteta said.

“We were having a great camp in Dubai, recharging and training, having some time off, reconnecting with nature in a different environment and then the injury happened in a very unexpected way certainly.

“It is a big blow, obviously, because of the injuries that we have but fortunately we’ve been through a lot this season.

“We have played without Gabriel, Saliba, Ben White all season, Tomiyasu all season, Calafiori for two months, Merino for two months, Martin Odegaard for two months, Bukayo Saka for three months, Gabriel Jesus, all of them.

“So that’s it. That’s the challenge I have. I love it and we look forward because we are still where we are with all the things that I mentioned, on top of playing four times with ten men, blah blah blah.

“Let’s see what the team is made of.”