Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are “actively looking” at deadline day options after midfielder Mikel Merino was ruled out for a considerable period with a suspected broken bone in his foot.
The Athletic reported on Sunday that Merino, 29, was set for an extended spell out. Arsenal later confirmed he would undergo surgery in the coming days.
Arteta said Arsenal needed to do “everything we possibly can” to bolster their squad in the Spain international’s absence.
“We are on it,” the Arsenal manager said at his press conference on Monday. “It’s just the fact that you want to make the right call with the right player because we really want to improve the team if we can. If not, we don’t do it.
“When you lose a big player like this in the squad with four months to go and all the competitions to play for, you need to look and we need to do everything that we possibly can to see if we have a player that is available. And if we don’t, we keep what we have.
“At this level, especially for four months, you have to be a player who has the capacity to adapt immediately and impact the team. That’s not easy. So, we need to find solutions and try.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with the club since November after leaving former club Besiktas in the summer. When asked about the possibility of re-signing the 32-year-old, Arteta said: “We explore every option.”
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka withdrew from the starting line-up before the 4-0 victory over Leeds United on Saturday due to what Arteta described as a “little niggle.”
When asked for an update on the 24-year-old England international, Arteta said: “We have to wait. Today he was (feeling) better, but we have to wait and see. It doesn’t look like something too serious. Whether he’s going to be available for tomorrow (against Chelsea) or the weekend (against Sunderland), we’ll see.”
After making eight signings last summer, Arsenal entered the 2025-26 campaign with a sizeable squad and have often been forced to leave players out of the matchday selection.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi has been Arsenal’s starting midfield pivot this season, with one of captain Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, or Merino completing the midfield trio.
Christian Norgaard has played a bit-part role since joining from Brentford last summer. The 31-year-old has made just 12 appearances, and said last week on his game time: “I’ve not had as many minutes on the pitch as I would have wanted, but I think I’ve still felt an integrated part of the team.
“No, I don’t really find it easy (not playing), but I also believe in what you give is what you get. I try to remind myself that even when it can be a bit frustrating not playing.”
Myles Lewis-Skelly could also be a midfield option. The 19-year-old has been deployed as a left-back since establishing himself as a first-team regular in the 2024-25 campaign, but was a central midfielder during his days in the youth team.
Kai Havertz returned from his long injury absence in January, and three of his four appearances since then have come in midfield.
Arsenal are top of the Premier League, six points clear of second-placed Manchester City. They face Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday, with a 3-2 lead from the first leg last month.