Arteta Asks Players To Stay Focused On Targets With Arsenal Even Though Contracts Are Not Clear

JAKARTA - Arsenal will travel to Brighton & Hove Albion headquarters in the 20th week of the 2024/2025 Premier League, Sunday, January 5, 2025, early morning WIB.

The Gunners, who are in second place on a mission, continue to chase Liverpool at the top of the standings. The point distance is close enough, only six points.

Therefore, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta does not want his team to lose focus on the mission, especially for Jorginho and Thomas Partey.

Arteta urged the two midfielders to focus on this season with Arsenal rather than be disrupted by their future.

As is known, the contracts of the two players will expire at the end of this season. The two midfielders are now free to talk to foreign clubs.

"All I can say is that that's not what I wanted. It was what the two players thought and how they were in the situation."

"I don't want to start this talk right now. I want to talk about it later because the focus has to be on what we have to do this season."

"They can understand what it means and then we can see what we can do," Arteta said at a press conference ahead of Brighton's match.

Apart from that, Kai Havertz is available for a trip to Brighton after missing a 3-1 win over Brentford due to the virus.

Arteta also added that Ben White could return before the end of this month because he was still recovering after knee surgery.

"It might have happened, but he (Ben White) hasn't done anything with the team. His knee looks good, he reacted very well in the first few weeks."

"Everything went smoothly and now he needs to start training his knee and needs to start doing a lot that he hasn't been able to do so far. But hopefully, he's fine," said Arteta.

Arsenal are in a positive trend unbeaten in the last 12 matches in all competitions, nine wins and three draws.

The Gunners must not slip for a big target of winning the Premier League for the first time in two decades.