03 February 2023 , 15:25
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Jonas Eidevall has acknowledged Arsenal had a "disappointing" transfer window after failing to bring in a new forward during January.
In the final days of before the deadline, the Gunners launched an audacious bid to sign England forward Alessia Russo from title rivals Man Utd. But their title rivals rejected two approaches and despite further reports linking the Arsenal with a move for Lyon's Signe Bruun, there were no further arrivals.
Arsenal did sign Victoria Pelova, Katherine Kuhl and Sabrina D'Angelo during the mid-season window, but the Gunners boss had previously stated they were keen to bring in a goalscorer after Beth Mead and Viv Miedema suffered long-term ACL injuries before Christmas. Ahead of Sunday's WSL London derby clash with West Ham, Eidevall said the main issue wasn't finding players that wanted to play for Arsenal, but getting clubs to do business at this time in the season.
"I think I was clear in the window we needed another forward," Eidevall explained. "And we went out and identified targets. I know the club worked very hard.
"But it was a very hard transfer window, not to find players who wanted to come to Arsenal, but to find clubs who were willing to sell quality players in this window.
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"That was very tricky and we are disappointed but we have to look forward and make the best of the situation. I still have a squad with a lot of quality that I believe in, we are just short in numbers. That could be a potential problem.
Arsenal may yet return for Russo in the summer when the transfer window re-opens (Manchester United via Getty Imag)"We searched globally for players. Not just the WSL. It was just a tricky window, it is an immature transfer market where if a club releases a quality player they have a hard time finding their replacement. We knew it was going to be hard but it was even harder than we thought."
Arsenal were also rumoured to be close to allowing Katie McCabe to join Chelsea in the closing days of the window. Stina Blackstenius was also reported to be potentially offered to United in one of the Gunners bids to sign Russo, who is out of contract in the summer. But any possible outgoings were dismissed as nonsense by Eidevall.
"We were never at any point in this transfer window close to anyone else leaving us," added the Arsenal boss. "The Katie McCabe thing for me, there was no chance of that happening. That was a no brainer, no question, that was nothing.
"The reports of potential players going out from us, I also think that is nonsense. We were thinking about adding players. Of course we didn't want to lose players, particularly not our top players in key positions.
"I'm not directly involved in transfers at Arsenal, other people are doing that work, but when it comes to key decisions on a player coming or leaving, I am very much involved.
"And we were never, ever, at any point in this window at the point of any player leaving us, other than the ones who did."
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Arsenal lose eight players and sign three as January transfer window closes