Arteta says Arsenal might sell players before transfer window closes

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that players could still leave the club before the transfer window shuts. He also said the team is in a good spot ahead of the new season.

In his pre-Community Shield press conference, Arteta mentioned that Arsenal is open to exploring both buying and selling players to strengthen the squad.

"It’s always the case; there’s an opportunity there to go both ways, and we’ll have to see how the market responds and what we as a club can do," Arteta said in a statement on Arsenal’s website on Saturday.

Arteta added that the transfer window allows clubs to look at their teams and make changes before the new season kicks off.

"It’s a very exciting part of the season, when a lot of things happen," he explained. "I think you create excitement; there’s an opportunity as well to evolve. There’s also a good way to understand what every player is feeling."

Arteta stated that Arsenal is working hard to be in the best position to compete for every trophy available.

"We are trying the maximum that we can to end up in 14 days, 13 days in the best possible condition to compete for every possible competition," he said.

Arteta talks about possible player exits

When asked if Arsenal would need to sell players, Arteta admitted that some players may have to go.

"We have certain possibilities that we can explore if the right possibilities come across," he said.

"But so far, with the numbers we have, we are happy; obviously, we need to accept that certain players will probably have to move."

Arteta did not want to comment on reports linking Arsenal to specific defenders, including Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.

"I’m not going to talk about any individuals obviously," he stated.

"What I can tell you is the ambition of the club, it’s big, we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad, and in order to achieve that, we have obviously detected some areas that can be strengthened. That’s what we are trying to do."

The Arsenal manager also suggested that recruitment would depend partly on whether the current squad can improve its level.

"There is room there for sure, with the players that we have ourselves," Arteta said. "I think elevating the quality we have, and elevating individual performance, has to be the main focus. If we cannot do that for whatever reason, then we have to think about recruiting."