Mikel Arteta reveals Arsenal transfer plans ‘changing daily’ amid coronavirus uncertainty as boss plots for future
MIKEL ARTETA revealed Arsenal’s transfer plans are “changing daily” as coronavirus wreaks havoc on football.
The Spaniard was one of the first famous faces to be diagnosed with the deadly disease but got straight back to work after he recovered.
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Yet the 38-year old admitted his job has been made almost impossible by the global pandemic.
He told Sky Sports News: “I’m planning two or three different scenarios that we can face. Depending on one of those three, we will be able to do more, less or nothing.
“We have to react daily. We don’t know what the financial situation is going to be, we don’t know the rules, the timing, the window.
“There are so many things we cannot control at the moment.”
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At least five Arsenal players are at risk of being axed at the end of the season – including Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi.
And Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks almost certain to leave with the Gunners ready to cash in on him.
The striker void they could be left with has seen them linked with Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic and Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann.
And Arteta is also said to be keen on Spanish trio Marc Roca, Carlos Soler, and Unai Nunez.
While Arsenal’s new boss may find it difficult to negotiate this summer’s transfer market, he was thrilled with the way his body dealt with his case of coronavirus.
Asked what the experience was like, he said: “Either mine wasn’t a very strong virus or my immune system was pretty good.
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“The same day that we were told that we were at risk because we were in contact with the Olympiakos owner [Evangelos Marinakis] was the exact day when I started to show some symptoms.
“I felt a huge responsibility as I knew the next day we were playing Manchester City.
“I had a feeling inside of myself that something was wrong. We had to make the point and make it clear.
“We spoke to the Premier League about bringing the case forward as we knew we could expose ourselves to people.
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“I pulled the doctor and the CEO to my house telling them that we had a situation due to my symptoms.
“We had players that had been in contact so we said the decision was too big for us alone to make.
“We had to communicate this with the Premier League and Manchester City in order to protect everybody. We made the right call.”