Arsene Wenger has no plans to make any further January signings to bolster his Arsenal squad in the closing days of the transfer window.
The North London club, who are three points adrift of Leicester City as they bid to win their first Premier League title in over a decade, signed Egypt international Mohamed Elneny earlier this month.
But Wenger, speaking ahead of his side’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Burnley on Saturday, is anticipating a quiet deadline day at the Emirates Stadium.
Asked if any more players could arrive before the window closes, Wenger said: “No, not at the moment.
Read more: Greg Lea on how Arsenal X-factor Alexis Sanchez keeps them poised for a title push
“We have 23 players in training – and plus two is 25 – so unless people go out we are not on the verge of bringing anybody in.”
Francis Coquelin, sidelined since November with a knee problem, and Tomas Rosicky, yet to play this season, could feature against Burnley on Saturday.
Danny Welbeck, who has not played in 10 months following a knee issue, is also closing in on a first-team return after resuming full training.
“It has to be gradual, and he has to go through Under 21 games,” said Wenger of the England forward.
“Danny has not played since April and we are now in February so that is very long for a top-level competitor. That means you have to accept that he goes through small steps and one of them is to play in the Under 21s for the first 45 minutes.
“He is basically fit but now he has to absorb the competition, the intensity of the competition, and that becomes the next step for him.”
Wenger’s side are aiming to win a third straight FA Cup and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal were reduced to 10 men after Per Mertesacker up-ended Diego Costa with 19 minutes gone before the Spain international scored the only goal of the game moments later.
“Ideally I don’t want anyone to make a mistake but that is part of defending as well,” Wenger said.
“We were caught on the counter-attack and we were of course in a bad position.
“When you are down on the pitch it happens all so quickly that if you are caught in a bad position for a fraction of a second it is impossible to correct and you have to accept that and live with it.
“We forget as well the number of times Mertesacker saves a goal that didn’t happen. The risk is part of the game and you have to feel comfortable with that.”
Regarding his own future, Wenger, who has 18 months to run on his current contract, added: “I am completely focused on doing well and give everything until the end of the season and then go for the next season hopefully.
“I don’t imagine at this moment to manage anywhere else. Will I stop working once I stop managing at a competitive level? No, I will always try to work if I have health and try to be useful.
“Maybe it will be a different level. It could be managing kids or developing young players but I will not run for Fifa.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESun%20Oct%202%2C%20v%20Sri%20Lanka%3Cbr%3ETue%20Oct%204%2C%20v%20India%3Cbr%3EWed%20Oct%205%2C%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EFri%20Oct%207%2C%20v%20Thailand%3Cbr%3ESun%20Oct%209%2C%20v%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3ETue%20Oct%2011%2C%20v%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EChaya%20Mughal%20(captain)%2C%20Esha%20Oza%2C%20Kavisha%20Kumari%2C%20Khushi%20Sharma%2C%20Theertha%20Satish%2C%20Lavanya%20Keny%2C%20Priyanjali%20Jain%2C%20Suraksha%20Kotte%2C%20Natasha%20Cherriath%2C%20Indhuja%20Nandakumar%2C%20Rishitha%20Rajith%2C%20Vaishnave%20Mahesh%2C%20Siya%20Gokhale%2C%20Samaira%20Dharnidharka%2C%20Mahika%20Gaur%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
