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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted the club is still looking to sign another defender after the Gunners suffered a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup final.
Arteta said Arsenal conceded “some poor goals” during the pre-season defeat but stressed that defensive improvement would require a collective effort from the players already at the club.
“We conceded some poor goals today in the way we competed, especially. But that’s a very collective responsibility. So we need to improve with the players that we have. And we want to improve, for sure, we want that,” Arteta said, according to a statement published on Arsenal’s website.
Asked directly whether Arsenal were looking to strengthen their defence, the manager confirmed that the club remained active in the transfer market.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that,” he said.
Arteta’s comments come as Arsenal deal with defensive absences, including William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. He said Timber was progressing well but remained “weeks away” from returning.
“Jurrien is progressing really well. He’s on the pitch, he’s doing quite a lot right now, but it’s still weeks away. I cannot tell you how much,” Arteta said.
On Saliba, the Arsenal boss revealed that the France international would need more time to recover from an aggravated injury.
“William Saliba is in rest mode at the moment for two weeks. He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it’s going to take some time to heal. We know that. And as soon as we have more news, we can inform you,” he said.
Arteta acknowledged that Saliba’s absence represented a major setback, particularly after Arsenal had experienced similar defensive problems in the past.
“Yes, we have experienced that in the past, unfortunately. And when he’s been available, he’s hit home and the stats are incredible,” he said.
The manager, however, insisted that Arsenal’s defeat to Dortmund should not overshadow the positive aspects of their pre-season preparations.
“There were so many other positive things. It could have been a very different result, to be fair. And I don’t want to lose sight of that. But losing has to create pain. That’s inevitable,” Arteta said.
He also praised new signing Bruno Guimaraes, highlighting the midfielder’s energy, hunger and ambition since joining the club.
“I’m delighted to have him. Why? Well, we see very clearly, especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground, the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club,” Arteta said.
The Arsenal manager added that Guimaraes would bring versatility, creativity and an additional goal threat, while challenging his teammates to raise their standards as the club targets major trophies.
Arteta also urged supporters not to read too much into the pre-season defeat, pointing out that several players were still returning from international duty and others had not yet had sufficient training.
“No, I mean, I think it has to, it has to hurt when you lose a football match, it has to hurt when it is a friendly match, a test or whatever you want to call it,” he said.
“But yes, we know where we are. We know that we are missing still a lot of players and some players that haven’t had enough training. And yes, sometimes it’s good.”
With several players now returning to the squad, Arteta said Arsenal would manage their fitness carefully as they prepare for the new season.
“Some of them were back today, already watching the game. Some of them, David and Bukayo, were back yesterday, a bit earlier than expected, which is great to see,” he said.
“I think it’s a really good sign and tomorrow everybody will be available to start the training programme.”
Arteta said Arsenal’s unusual pre-season schedule was designed to ensure the squad would be ready for the demands of the season, even if the benefits were not immediately reflected in results.
“So this is part of the preparation and a really specific preparation that, if we don’t see the result right now, makes sure that we see it in a week when we start to compete for the major trophies,” he said.
