Despite struggling to finish in the top four this season, the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out the possibility of bringing in any high profile players in the final few days of the January transfer window. Wenger has always been a man reluctant to spend in January. He even recently proposed a two player cap on the number of signings that the club could make in the January transfer window. Arsenal will be playing against Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup during the weekend. The FA Cup represents one of the realistic ways to bring an end to the trophy drought for the club.

Wenger’s squad has been decimated this season by several injuries to key players like Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby. Yet, they have been able to maintain a challenge for the top four positions. The recent 2-1 defeat in the hands of Chelsea, though, has come as a major blow to the club in hopes of retaining the record of consecutive Champions League group stage appearances. Wenger has said that he will never stop from strengthening the squad, but he feels that it is not possible to bring in magic signings like David Villa from Barcelona.

“If we perform at full potential we cannot expect any miracle from outside, we want to make things happen inside. If someone else can strengthen our squad, we will do it of course, but we have the resources inside to do well. We have two players in every position, that should be enough, plus the young players in behind. But if we find the top-class players in any position, we never refuse to strengthen our squad,” said Wenger ahead of the weekend’s match. The Russian winger Andrei Arshavin remains as one of the high profile January buys for Arsenal.