Renee Slegers has revealed that Arsenal are in the market for a goalkeeper in the January transfer window.
It comes as two of their current three options are on the injury list and unavailable to play Liverpool on Saturday.
Renee Slegers confirms Arsenal are in the market for a goalkeeper
Arsenal are hoping to sign a new goalkeeper in January following their latest injury blow.
Slegers on Friday confirmed that Daphne van Domselaar will be absent for the remainder of the calendar year due to a “quad tendon issue” and needs an injection.
Manuela Zinsberger was one of 17 players to suffer a knee injury during October, after she ruptured her ACL. Teammates Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang, on loan at Brighton, have also suffered ACL injuries this season.
Asked whether she wants to sign a goalkeeper in January, Slegers said: “Yes, definitely, because Manu is out and Daphne has been managing issues, so we’re definitely looking. When we have more clarity, then of course things will go forward and become public.
“We’re definitely looking at that position because we think we need a really strong goalkeeper union with three goalkeepers available and we’re not in that situation at the moment so we’ll have to solve that for the second half of the season.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal have also been linked with Swedish right-back Smilla Holmberg.
Who will start in goal for Arsenal against Liverpool?
With Zinsberger and Van Domselaar both injured, Arsenal will hand a full debut to summer signing Anneke Borbe against Liverpool.
It also means that 17-year-old Amy Liddiard will be on the bench for the Gunners.
Further up the field, Arsenal will also be without Chloe Kelly, who suffered an injury on England duty.
Kelly will miss the clash with Liverpool, and like Van Domselaar, could be out until the start of the new year.
Slegers gives response to Arsenal dressing room “unrest” reports
During her press conference, Slegers was also asked about reports from The Athletic that the dressing room has been “splintered for many years” with some players “wielding significant influence”.
The report also claimed that there was tension between Arsenal players.
She said: “We won the Champions League, historically we are the most successful club in England, there is noise on the outside, there will always be noise, but on the inside we know what we are doing. It is a high-performance environment, so we demand a lot of things of each other.
‘It should be like that, if you look internally, you see a lot of really, really good things going on. Every group of people has to manage things and get through but I am very positive about where we are.”
Slegers went on to add: “I didn’t agree with it and I think it is unfortunate that this is what is written about us while we are doing so many good things and a lot of people invested in the process. Maybe that was the little emotion I felt, but not more than that.
