Ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming clash against Manchester City at The Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Mikel Arteta highlighted the importance of recruiting in the transfer window, along with the game against the reigning champions and Kai Havertz’s role in the squad.
“I’m very confident with the work that the club is doing, and exploring every single opportunity that we believe can have an impact on the team. If that’s the certainly the case and we can agree on something, we will, and if not, we won’t.“
Regarding the possibility of the club carrying out any more transfer business before the window shuts, he said: “We are trying everything that we can, but I don’t want to give any reassurance or not. It doesn’t depend only on us, so our intention is clear, but the possibilities are affected by the three parties.”
The game on Sunday will see Arteta face the whom he used to coach, and the Arsenal manager knows how important the game is in terms of the title race.
“It would be a big boost for us. Winning big matches is always something special. Every time we play a big match against our big rivals, it brings something extra. It’s the confidence, it’s the emotion, it’s the fact that you are there and you continue to win.
“That’s what we want to achieve.”
Embed from Getty ImagesKai Havertz has received criticism from Arsenal fans in the last month, but his manager believes the German international is a vital part of The Gunners’ squad.
“He’s been our main striker now for a while and he’s producing some big numbers and his work ethic is unbelievable.
“Not only that but what we demanded to do in our model, his availability has been exceptional. So he’s always there and we are very happy to have him.”
Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City will kick off at 16:30 GMT on Sunday February 2nd.