Wenger: I'll bring in striking support

Robin van Persie fires a volley into the Everton net after escaping his marker for his 34th goal of the calendar year, one shy of Thierry Henry's record (EPA)

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has admitted that he could be tempted into the January sales if "an opportunity turns up".

Arsenal have turned their season around following seven wins from the last eight Premier League games, to move back into contention for the top four. Much of that success has been built on the 19 goals of Robin van Persie but with both the Ivory Coast's Gervinho and Morocco's Marouane Chamakh set to be away at the Africa Cup of Nations early next year, Wenger accepts his back up in attack will be scarce. The north London club also have plenty of cash reserves should he wish to strengthen the squad.

"We lose players like Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations so hopefully, touch wood, we do not get any injuries to our strikers. But if an opportunity turns up in that department then we will buy," Wenger told a supporters' Q&A session at the Emirates Stadium.

The Arsenal manager, however, feels the current financial climate is "a bit special". He said: "Economically the whole environment has changed and people suffer more. The clubs will suffer more financially and it's much more difficult. Maybe we will have some opportunities because we are in a good financial situation."

Although both the South Korea captain Park Chu-young and Russian Andrei Arshavin also offer attacking options, Wenger may look to bring in more like-for-like cover, with Cologne's Lukas Podolski one possibility.