Arsenal may seek some new blood

– Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi has admitted that forward Danny Welbeck’s longterm injury could force the Premier League club to recruit in the January transfer window.

Welbeck (right), often used as a backup striker by manager Unai Emery, underwent two operations after suffering a broken ankle against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League this month.

While Sanllehi agreed that Welbeck’s latest setback could give youngster Eddie Nketiah a chance to establish himself, he did not rule out the idea of venturing into the transfer market.

“This is absolutely something unplanned,” Sanllehi told The In-

London

dependent. “I am not saying that is a green light to go to the market because we have good players who may now get further opportunities, such as Eddie Nketiah.

“So we need to see. We are in November so it is a good time to start analysing what options we have in the market.”

No time frame has been set for Welbeck’s return, although he could be out until the end of the campaign, when his contract expires at the Emirates.

The former Manchester United striker has been restricted to 126 appearances since moving to Arsenal in 2014, most notably through two long-term knee injuries. – Reuters