Arsenal Rumors: Arteta 'Eyeing A Few More Players' Before Deadline, Says Former Gunners Great

Arsenal FC is racing against time, with Mikel Arteta hoping to seal the deal with both Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey. Gunners great Lee Dixon has shared his take on Arteta’s efforts in trying to reinforce the club.

With the transfer deadline fast approaching, the Gunners are trying to work out a deal for Aouar and Partey. However, Arsenal has yet to meet the financial demands of Lyon for Aouar, and the same holds for Partey with Atletico Madrid.

But Dixon believes that Arsenal could seal the deal before the Oct. 5 transfer window deadline.

“I think he’s got his eye on a few more players. If he can get them over the line in the next week or so…,” Dixon told talkSPORT of Arteta. “I think a creative midfield player is key. When [Dani] Ceballos came on [against Liverpool] you could see the difference in that creative side of things.”

“It’s so difficult to be under that sort of pressure for that amount of time against a brilliant pressing team, then to go and play your football because you’re absolutely exhausted. We’ve all played against a team that suffocates you,” he continued. “So they need a little bit of creativity in midfield in order to get them out of those situations when they’ve been under pressure.”

As mentioned in a previous report, Arsenal has yet to make a credible offer for 22-year-old Aouar. With the transfer window only days away, the Gunners need to make a better offer than their previous one. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas termed that bid as “timid.”

Arteta is fully aware that he needs to bring in the right players, particularly for the midfield position. They are coming off a 3-1 loss to Liverpool, although Dixon prefers to look at it differently. Rather than criticize the Gunners, he opts to look at the encouraging signs of the team since Arteta took over.

“We have to take into consideration the lack of pre-season and the unusual situation we find ourselves in, but I do feel Arteta will be looking at top four, absolute minimum. He’s a very ambitious young manager,” Dixon said.

Partey, seen as another good addition if the Gunners can pull through, remains a big question mark. Though there is still time, the only way to get the Ghanaian football player is to meet the fee set by Los Indios. Atletico is seeking roughly $60 million for the 27-year-old player.