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Ezri Konsa and Ethan Nwaneri latest as Mikel Arteta's cool on Arsenal transfers starts to slip football.london rounds up their latest understanding regarding the transfer window as Arsenal prepare for the final two weeks of the window Arsenal are entering the final fortnight of the summer transfer window. While Mikel Arteta has remained a stoic figure of calm throughout pre-season when questioned on the club’s market movements, we recently experienced a small crack in that coolness. With Arsenal victorious in the FA Community Shield, aided by the performances of two of their top signings from the summer transfer window, Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes, questions again turned to the market. After leaving three senior players, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri, out of the squad, he maintained these were purely for technical reasons. He even pleaded his case which he admitted to have made privately to the Premier League, that the squad sizes need expanding. So that players like Martinelli and Nwaneri need not be left out, and you can imagine if William Saliba and Jurrien Timber were fit this problem would only be exacerbated further. FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page “No, just technical decisions,” Arteta confirmed. “I've been trying to persuade the Premier League and the clubs to be able to extend the number of players that we can have, especially the outfield players in the squads, because we're playing more and more games and the load is unreal. “And not giving the chance to those players to be able to be here to participate, because maybe the man's qualities are one of those players and don't have them available, it's just a shame. So it's the most difficult part of the job, but there's nothing to do with that. “It's just a fact that we can bring 18 outfield players and we believe that for today's game, these were the options that we needed, especially with the physical condition of certain players.” However, it was when he was asked about the presence of just one defender on the bench where the aforementioned breakaway from his composed view of the market occurred. “Well, we know that there are certain areas that, through injuries, we are weaker and we need to strengthen,” he said. "We are trying to do that, we've been trying to do that for weeks, so only the right opportunity and the club is able to do it. We will do it.” It’s the admission of how long the club have been both aware of the need to address the defensive deficiencies and how they have been actively trying and so far not succeeding to do it. football.london is aware that Ezri Konsa has become the primary candidate for the role, but Aston Villa’s resolute position on the £60million asking price, believed to be at least £20million higher than Arsenal’s valuation of the 28-year-old, has stalled any chance of a move. The club have looked at several alternatives, including Cristian Romero, which Gabriel Heinze is understood to have been a particular fan of, although the Argentine is now an Atletico Madrid player and Jarell Quansah, although football.london has reported this week that Bayer Leverkusen are yet to have received direct contact from Arsenal, nor are they willing to part with the former Liverpool man. It leaves Arsenal with a dilemma. Either pay what Villa want and get their man, find an alternative that might not fulfil the requirements wanted by Arteta or stick with what they have got, and perhaps give Marli Salmon a very early Premier League introduction. Saliba’s avoidance of surgery means he should not be missing for several months, and hopefully back between two and three, but nothing yet is fully known about his return timeline. The irony with Konsa is what many have criticised about the target; when reflected on, it becomes a strength of the signing. Turning 29 in October, Konsa wouldn’t block the pathway of Salmon like a younger profile would. In two years’ time, when Salmon will be 18, Konsa will be in his thirties, and this would make a natural succession pathway appear. A defender turned midfielder, Myles Lewis-Skelly, has made his position very clear: he wants to stay at Arsenal. The question of whether he will still, frustratingly, remains unanswered. football.london exclusively broke the story that Chelsea had been approached regarding their interest in the 19-year-old. This sparked a strong and emotional response from the fan base, understandably so, and even the player who celebrated his goal against Como 1907 but gesturing his love for the club, a clear message of wanting to stay. But without any comment from Arteta thus far, despite multiple questions on the Hale End graduate, guaranteeing that he will stay beyond the end of the window, the door remains open ajar. There is no doubt an exit would spark fury from the fan base, and so the nervous wait goes on. With Nwaneri, despite Arteta determining that his absence was purely technical, when asked on Friday whether he wanted him to be at the club beyond the window’s deadline, the Spaniard couldn’t offer any guarantee. “I want him to be at the club but something is in the medium-long term what is best for the player as well,” he said. “Ethan needs to play football and if he stays here it’s because we can guarantee that he can have those minutes. “Otherwise it's just something that is not good for anybody I think.” football.london understands AC Milan made an enquiry for the 18-year-old last week which was rebuffed. Suggestions were the Italian club were keen on a loan move with an option to buy, but this is not a structure which Arsenal, for now, are entertaining. There is a still a lot of faith that Nwaneri's future should be in North London. Even a sale, if sanctioned, would hope to include a buy-back so the club could bring the player back in future, although this would limit the potential fee any club would be willing to pay. Gabriel Jesus remains a difficult case. The main issue is the player’s wages, well in excess of £200,000 per week which interested parties will be finding it difficult to match – Napoli have an interest although any move to the Italian side is not thought to yet be at an advanced stage. Reiss Nelson’s exit is further along however, with talks with West Ham over a permanent move ongoing. Fabio Vieira too awaits an update on his future, with Hamburger SV believed to be willing to wait late into the window to snap up the Portuguese midfielder at a cut-price deal when all other options for the Gunners have fallen away and the pressure mounts to find a compromise to sort a transfer – similar to last summer with both Nelson and Vieira’s deadline day loan moves and Albert Sambi Lokonga’s cheap exit to HSV. Ultimately, it is expected that Arsenal will be busy in these remaining weeks, how successful they are however is not as known. The forward line remains an area the club would like to strengthen, but for now the defence is the bigger priority. Victor Osimhen has become a name also emerging, however football.london understands any potential move would be very complicated and expensive. One of Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz might also need to leave for a deal to make sense for the club to invest. When we return for next week’s round-up, the first Premier League weekend will have been almost completed as will the window. Stay tuned, this could get interesting.