'Needs to change' - Ian Wright makes Arsenal transfer claim after Newcastle United defeat

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has been speaking about his old club’s needs in the January transfer window after a disappointing defeat in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. The Gunners slipped to a 2-0 defeat to the Magpies in the home leg of their semi-final, and they now face an uphill task in the second leg ay St James’ Park.

There is no doubt that the Premier League is Arsenal’s priority, but Arteta pulled no punches with his starting XI, and it will be concerning that they were still beaten but one of the clubs battling to get into the top four, regardless of the fact it was in the cup.

The big dilemma facing Arsenal is whether they should sign a new attacker in the January transfer window, with Arteta having resisted signing a new striker in the last two windows. With Bukayo Saka out and Gabriel Martinelli not at his best, it seems the Gunners may be left with no choice but to find a new attacker, but with so much spent on new signings over recent years, it’s unlikely to be a pick and choose situation, and especially not in the tricky January transfer window.

But club legend Wright believes Arteta does need help with an incoming, telling ITV Sport: “What I’m looking at now for Mikel Arteta and what he’s gonna need, he needs help. I know it’s very difficult to get anything in this January window, but he needs something else because if it carries on like this, it’s going to be very difficult to score.

“They aren’t scoring with the corners, we’re not scoring with the chances we’re making. Something needs to change. Something needs to happen.”

Arteta on recruits

Asked about the lack of ‘killer’ in front of goal for Arsenal after Tuesday night’s game, Arteta said: “We're always going to discuss that when we don't score a goal, because when we score five against Palace or three the next game or whatever, we're not going to discuss that. I understand, and try to help the players as much as we can.”

Asked before the game about the transfer situation, the Spaniard added: “That hasn’t changed - again the focus is our players. Whatever is in the market, we’re very alert, but the priority is working with the players that we have at the moment and tomorrow night, which is a big night for us. It’s not a yes, it’s not a no!”