LONDON • Unai Emery has said Arsenal will be able to sign players only on loan this month.
The Arsenal manager, who has no issue with Aaron Ramsey reportedly close to leaving for Juventus on a free transfer at the end of the season, has been linked with moves for Barcelona's Denis Suarez and Sevilla's Ever Banega.
Speaking ahead of today's trip to West Ham, the Spaniard admitted he would have to wheel and deal in the January transfer window as funds were limited.
"We cannot sign permanently," he said. "We can only loan players. I know the club is working on possibilities of which players can help us with big performances like we need now. I cannot say more."
Emery worked with Banega and Suarez at Sevilla and the latter is out of favour at the Nou Camp and would help to solve Arsenal's lack of attacking width.
However, it remains to be seen whether the club can secure a loan for the 25-year-old midfielder, with Barcelona asking for £10 million (S$17.2 million). Sevilla are likely to place an even heftier price on Banega, who has been a key figure for Emery in the past.
"I know this player and he's a very good player," the 47-year-old said.
The former Sevilla boss also insisted he was not unhappy with Arsenal's financial restrictions.
He added: "We are working with the players who are with us now. Also, we are giving chances to the young players and finding with them the regularity to be consistent when we need them to be.
"I am very happy. I know it is not easy for us now in this transfer market and, if we can find one player who can help us like we need, with the quality and a different player for getting in our squad, we are going to do it.
"But I am happy with every player today. It is really some injuries that didn't help us in the last matches because we struggled with different injuries with the players... if one or two players can come and help us, that is perfect."
The Gunners' defensive problems have eased for their visit to the London Stadium, with Hector Bellerin, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal all returning to full training earlier this week.
Midfielder Mesut Ozil could also play against Manuel Pellegrini's men, after shaking off the knee injury that has kept him out since Boxing Day.
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