Mikel Arteta made Arsenal January transfer window 'disappointment' known

Arsenal have less than 24 hours remaining to take care of their final bits of transfer business before the winter window shuts

Arsenal go into transfer deadline day sitting atop the Premier League table, but their winter business could be a factor in whether or not they stay there. If they need a reminder of the damage a quiet January can do, they need only look back to this time last year.

Manager Mikel Arteta and transfer chief Andrea Berta knew reinforcements were needed over the summer after the Gunners came up short in last season's title race. However, Arteta appeared well aware of the requirements even longer ago.

When Arsenal beat Manchester City 5-1 on February 2 last year, they sat six points adrift of league leaders Liverpool after playing one game more than Arne Slot's team. Their squad looked dangerously thin in attack, though, with Gabriel Jesus suffering a season-ending injury in January and both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli still on the comeback trail after injuries of their own.

That left Kai Havertz with little in the way of competition. Arsenal attempted to make a late play for Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins, but it wasn't to be - much to Arteta's frustration.

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"We had a clear intention, which is always there is a window open to explore the opportunities to improve our squad with players that can impact it," Arteta said after the window closed. "We haven't achieved it so we are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kind of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well and I think that we will.

He added: "It's not a gamble, it's reality. I think we have to face the reality as well that we have. We have the players that we have, some of them are on loan. We've never had a squad of 35, 40, 45 players. So many other clubs, they have 45 players in their list. We don't have that size at the moment. It's our reality. We have to do so much in the last few years that's where we are.

"So we're going to have to evolve there as well and have more and have more players from the academy and the ones that are here to be fitted longer. That's a job that is permanent and it keeps evolving and we need to be on our toes."

Ultimately, we'll never know whether that extra addition would have been enough to help Arsenal reel in Liverpool. Havertz was injured during a warm-weather training camp before Arsenal could even play another league game and wouldn't return to action until the final two games of the season.

By then, Arteta's team had suffered more damaging results as the return of Saka and Martinelli - along with some key goals from stand-in striker Mikel Merino - couldn't bridge the gap. Arsenal still finished second but there was a 10-point gap to champions Liverpool, while a spirited Champions League run ended at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

Compared to this time last year, Arsenal find themselves in a position of relative strength in terms of league position and squad depth. Only time will tell when it comes to determining whether it's enough.