Manager Mikel Arteta says he is consulting his Arsenal players over new signings as the club scramble to bring in a striker before the January transfer window closes.

Serious injuries to forwards Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have added to concerns over the Gunners’ lack of goal-scoring threat as they try to catch Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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Arsenal are the only club in the Premier League’s top six without a scorer in double figures. Kai Havertz is their highest scorer with eight goals in the top flight this season.

Gunners boss Arteta was asked on Friday about the need for reinforcements ahead of his side’s trip to struggling Wolves on Saturday. “We lost two very, very important players, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, so we lack goals, we lack people, we lack options in the front line. It’s clear,” he said.

“If we can get the right player, that’s what we are actively looking at. Any player? No – someone that makes us better and has an impact in the team.”

With the transfer window shutting at 23:00 GMT on February 3, Arteta added: “Ideally we need some help because we were very short already and we’re even shorter. But the team still copes with that. We have to do what is right for the club.”

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The Spaniard said he consults his players on potential signings because they are often able to give him valuable information that builds on computer data.

“So how has this player acted when he hasn’t scored for six or seven games? This is what I’m interested in,” he said. “Watch an interview with a player who hasn’t scored for six games, then what kinds of goals has he scored, against which teams, in what contexts.

“Is it the first half, the second half? Is it only right foot. Is it headers? Always only in open spaces? Does he like the physical contact of this league? There are a lot of things, so when you have a player that has spent a lot of days with him, that’s really valuable information to have. I always do it.”

Arteta believes Arsenal, who have finished as runners-up to Manchester City for the past two seasons, are realistic title challengers to Liverpool, who are six points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Last weekend, Arne Slot’s side scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Brentford while Arsenal blew a 2-0 lead in their draw against Aston Villa.

“The margins are really, really small,” Arteta said. “You could see how things could have gone last weekend, and the turning points are minimal, and the gap certainly looks very different.

“We have to be at it. We have to do what’s in our hands, and there’s still a long, long way to go.”

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