Arsenal do not plan to address their defensive injury issues in January despite losing two key stars to injury during the international break.

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are not actively pursuing any defensive signings ahead of January after a double injury blow to their key stars. The Gunners are expected to rely on their impressive defensive depth rather than splashing again on defensive recruitment.

Arsenal had a monumental summer transfer window, probably their best with regard to the quantity of players they brought in and the quality of those stars. The Gunners addressed many of their issues plaguing them in the previous campaign that prevented them from winning the Premier League title on three separate occasions.

Last season, in particular, tested Mikel Arteta’s squad depth, after Arsenal suffered blow after blow as several of their first-team stars sat out of the game with injuries. This summer, the Gunners brought in eight new players to fortify their depth issues, and now they seem formidable in every department, with Arteta having the luxury of having at least two quality stars in each position.

However, the injury curse has not left the Gunners as the likes of Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Kyokeres, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus are all out of contention. While a few of those are expected to make a swift return at the end of the current week, the international break has brought in more issues than solutions.

Arsenal lost key defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori to injuries, which threatens their participation ahead of the North London Derby on Sunday. The former is widely expected to miss out, while there’s a chance for the latter to feature, as the media has already begun to report the Gunners might dip into the market for defensive reinforcements.

Arsenal unlikely to make defensive signings

Arsenal are leaning towards using their defensive depth rather than recruiting fresh players, as they are well covered if Gabriel and Calafiori cannot feature for a long time. That may not be the case as both those defenders are expected to make a swift return from their respective fitness issues. Summer arrivals Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are well-equipped to cover for the duo, with Myles Lewis-Skelly also being an option.

The Gunners are more focused on renewing deals for key stars, with Bukayo Saka close to penning an extension. Apart from the winger, the Gunners are also in talks with Jurrien Timber over fresh terms, as Arteta is not expected to dip into the January window for fresh recruits unless there’s a massive market opportunity.