Mikel Arteta: Arsenal can do better in front of goal but not thinking of signing a striker in January

Arsenal are interested in signing Ivan Toney in January, but Thomas Frank doesn’t want to let go of the striker.

Arsenal’s coach, Mikel Arteta, recognizes that his team has not been scoring enough goals. However, he assures that they are not currently considering signing a new striker in January.

Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah played in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham, but they were criticized for not scoring.

Arsenal have scored 11 Premier League goals, slightly below their expected goals total of 11.38 this season. Arteta mentioned that “there are different methods to score goals and that Arsenal is finding ways to accomplish this”.

“But we should have scored many more with the chances we have created.”

However, despite reports suggesting Arteta is keen to sign Ivan Toney when he returns from his suspension in January, the Arsenal boss said when asked about signing a striker: “We’re not thinking at all about that.

“We have really good players up front. It’s true that right now we have some injuries. We will continue with the players we have.”

Arteta mentioned Toney when asked about the decline of traditional No 9 players in football, stating that “it is making a comeback”.

“There are a few players when you look at Harry Kane, [Erling] Halaand, Ivan Toney, [Aleksandar] Mitrovic. You have examples of players who score a lot of goals.”

Brentford and Arsenal will play in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Toney, who is currently banned from gambling, was discussed by Thomas Frank.

Toney switched agents and talked about the possibility of leaving Brentford this season. When asked if he could leave in January, Frank replied that he doesn’t know and is only focused on the next game on Wednesday.

“We prepare for transfer windows ahead. We are prepared in any position if something should happen. Let’s see.

“I don’t want to sell him. I want my best players. I say, ‘don’t sell him’. Ivan is a world-class player so why should we sell a world-class player?

“I want him to play here for the rest of his contract but that’s not up to me to decide.”