EXCLUSIVE
I was a Premier League manager and here’s why Arsenal will find it hard in January
Arsenal are crying out for a striker to firm up their Premier League title but they might find it near impossible to sign one this month.
That is the verdict from former Premier League boss Alan Pardew, who was speaking on talkSPORT in the aftermath of Arsenal's defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday.
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The Gunners controlled large portions of the match against Jurgen Klopp's side at the Emirates but could not finish their chances as the Reds emerged 2-0 winners.
With Brentford star Ivan Toney heavily linked, Mikel Arteta poured cold water on any speculation by insisting that Arsenal must get by with who they've got.
The Spaniard said: “At the moment it does not look realistic. What my job is, and what we have to do is improve our players and try to get better results with the players we have."
And Pardew, who has managed many clubs including Crystal Palace, Newcastle, West Ham and Charlton in the Premier League, has sympathy for Arteta.
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He told talkSPORT while co-hosting The Final Word: "It is very, very difficult in this window because the cards are all held by the selling clubs.
"So I know from my history in January, it is very difficult to do any kind of business, any meaningful business.
"But I lost three strikers in January, personally. I lost Jermain Defoe when I was at West Ham, I lost Andy Carroll on the last day [to Liverpool when at Newcastle].
"On the last day! I lost him on the last day! Literally had no time to get a replacement and I was really short of a striker.
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"In the end, the window closed and we had to go out and get Shefki Kuqi just to come in. I lost Demba Ba as well at Newcastle [to Chelsea].
"So you can lose players but obviously the fees are inflated, look at Andy Carroll at that time, do you remember? £35million, a British record.
Mikel Arteta reveals that getting a new striker in the January transfer window isn't realistic for Arsenal
"That is the sort of thing can happen but it doesn't really happen to the top teams. I look at Arsenal and I can think of two names that can do the job there.
"You've got Toney and you've got [Victor] Osimhen. Those two, definitely, give Arsenal a chance of winning the Premier League.
"But you are talking about £100m-plus for the boy out in Italy for sure, he'd probably be the best bet. And Toney? What are Brentford going to ask for him at this stage?"
While Toney has been linked with an exit, Brentford have already reportedly slapped a huge asking price on the England international.
If Arsenal do go without signing a striker this month, they will need their frontline to massively pick up form.
Bukayo Saka's six goals in the Premier League trumps both Gabriel Jesus (three) and Gabriel Martinelli (three) put together but is still not a big enough total to worry Liverpool or Manchester City.
And the supporting cast have not chipped in either, with Havertz scoring four and Eddie Nketiah netting just five in the Premier League.
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