Arsenal transfer news: Unai Emery admits club may not sign any new players ahead of Thursday deadline

The Arsenal manager has told supporters to expect between 'zero and two' new players ahead of the 31 January transfer deadline

Unai Emery has admitted that Arsenal may not sign any new players this week, although reassured supporters by saying the club is looking at “two players who have the possibility to come here”.

Ahead of the club’s Premier League match against Cardiff, Emery has said Arsenal are targeting “between zero and two” signings this week, as the club continue to struggle to bolster their squad ahead of the 31 January deadline.

Arsenal have been linked with a slew of players since the transfer window opened and have been negotiating with Barcelona over 25-year-old midfielder Denis Suárez since the start of the month.

Ivan Perisic has meanwhile handed in a transfer request at Inter Milan after Arsenal reportedly had a loan offer rejected for the winger.

Arsenal have suffered a number of injuries in recent weeks — with Héctor Bellerín, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck all ruled out for the rest of the season — but Emery has admitted that it is possible the club will be unable to sign anybody before the window closes on Thursday.

When asked how many players he expected to sign this week, Emery said: “Nil or possibly two. Between nil and two. If they aren’t coming to help us like we want, then we would prefer them to not come.

“Two because we are looking at two different players who have the possibility to come here.”

However Emery refused to be drawn on what players the club were targeting, ducking a question on Croatia international Perisic by insisting that he “does not know exactly which players” the club want to sign.

“The club is working on the possibility to sign different players,” he said.

“I don’t know exactly which players, but it’s players with the possibility to help us who can play on the wing, right or left. I think all the players who can come here and help us is good news. I know the club is doing all they can to achieve one player to help us.”

And despite saying earlier in the window that he would like the club to sign a defender, Emery made a point of saying that he has a number of options at centre-back, despite the club’s growing injury crisis.

Arsenal have a number of players out injured (PA)

Laurent Koscielny and Sokratis Papastathopoulos both sustained injuries in last week’s 2-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester United, joining long-term absentees Bellerin and Holding on the sidelines.

“We have enough players who can play centre back in the squad,” Emery said. “The problem is we’re having a lot of injuries in this position. We have enough players.

“If we can bring another player, and all the other players we have are well to play, then we could maybe have a problem in the future.”