Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has ruled out looking to try and sign a midfielder in the January transfer window to try and replace Santi Cazorla.
As per the club’s official website, Wenger revealed that the Spanish international will be sidelined for up to three months after it was agreed that he needed surgery on his ankle.
It will come as a massive blow for the Gunners as they have looked poor in recent weeks, and it’s no coincidence that it’s come after Cazorla was ruled out with the injury.
Without the Spaniard dictating the game and ensuring that there is fluidity and pace to Arsenal’s play, they have struggled to assert themselves in games and have had to battle through a tough November picking up points along the way.
Wenger certainly has enough cover in the form of the likes of Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka to name but a few, but none of those individuals can do the job that Cazorla does which is so important.
Aaron Ramsey was given the opportunity to impress in midweek against Southampton in the EFL Cup but failed miserably, and so Wenger could have been forced into considering looking outside of the club.
However, as noted on Twitter by ESPN FC correspondent Mattias Karen, the Arsenal boss will not delve into the transfer market in January to address the situation.
Wenger says he will not look to buy a new player in January to replace Cazorla: "In midfield, we have many players."
— Mattias Karén (@MattiasKaren) December 2, 2016
That will be a major disappointment for many Arsenal fans who will be extremely concerned about where this goes now, as the team will have to deliver a much-improved performance against West Ham United this weekend to quell the growing frustration.