Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that his squad lack world-class level players following his side's 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
The Gunners travelled to St Mary's Stadium on Saturday hoping to get back to winning ways following back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Brighton. However, it was Ralph Hasenhuttl's men who secured all three points thanks to a first-half strike from Polish defender Jan Bednarek.
The result left the north Londoners sixth in the current Premier League standings, behind both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United - although they have both played a game more than Arteta's side. Speaking after the full-time whistle, the Spaniard admitted that his squad just doesn't have world-class players, perhaps a nudge to technical director Edu to target some elite-level talent in the summer transfer window.
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“It’s what we have", the former Manchester City assistant coach said. "The players that we have, haven’t done it in this league.
"When you have world-class players who have done it in the league for ten years, I would probably say that. I am the first one to defend them, to support them, you see how they try.
"The only way to do it is to insist and what happened today might happen the next day or the next month.” Arteta's comments further highlight how frustrating the January window was for Arsenal fans.
Former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was allowed to join La Liga giants Barcelona during the winter window but no replacement was signed, leaving Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as the club's only recognised centre-forwards. To make matters more complicated, both Lacazette and Nketiah are out of contract at the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Benfica star Darwin Nunez, Lille ace Jonathan David and Real Sociedad frontman Alexander Isak are three strikers that have been mooted as potential targets.
