Unai Emery has said Arsenal will be able to sign players only on loan this month. The Arsenal manager, who does not have a problem with Aaron Ramsey agreeing to join Juventus on a free transfer at the end of the season, has been linked with moves for Barcelona’s Denis Suárez and Sevilla’s Éver Banega.
He expressed admiration for Banega in particular before admitting it is unlikely he will be given funds for permanent signings in January.
“We cannot sign permanently,” Emery said. “We can only loan players. I know the club is working on possibilities of which players can help us with big performances like we need now. I cannot say more.”
Emery worked with Banega and Suárez at Sevilla. Suárez, who joined Barcelona from Manchester City in 2013, is out of favour and he would help to solve Arsenal’s lack of attacking width. It remains to be seen whether the club can secure a loan for the 25-year-old. It is thought Barcelona want £10m for Suárez.
Sevilla are likely to place a hefty price on Banega, who has been a key figure for Emery in the past. “I know this player and he’s a very good player,” the former Sevilla manager said.
Emery insisted he was not unhappy with Arsenal’s financial restrictions: “We are working with the players who are with us now. Also we are giving chances to the young players and finding with them the regularity to be consistent when we need them to be.
“I am very happy. I know it is not easy for us now in this transfer market and if we can find one player who can help us like we need, with the quality and a different player for getting in our squad, we are going to do it. But I am happy with every player today. It is really some injuries that didn’t help us in the last matches because we struggled with different injuries with the players.
“I am happy because another player can have chances when one player is injured and they are doing well, that is the reason for us being calm and my confidence with the club is big, they are working and if one or two players can come and help us that is perfect.”
Emery respects Ramsey’s decision to join Juventus on a five-year deal worth £36m. The player’s future has been up in the air since Arsenal withdrew their contract offer this season. Emery’s only demand is that the 27-year-old continues to show commitment.
“I respect his decision a lot,” he said. “I say to him every day we need his performance for us. In the last match I was very happy with him. I asked in the last match at Blackpool if he is OK to help us play and he said: ‘Yes, I want to play’ and he played with a very big behaviour and commitment to us.
“After, his future belongs to him, his family and agent. Every day he’s here with us, he’s working very well. I want his behaviour and his focus to be on West Ham on Saturday.
“I cannot say more about his situation. The most important thing is that Aaron Ramsey is with us. His future I respect a lot because he has a very private decision but I repeat I am very happy with him.”
Arsenal’s defensive problems have eased for their trip to West Ham, with Héctor Bellerín, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal returning to full training. Mesut Özil could also play after shaking off the knee injury that has kept him out since Boxing Day.