Wenger: I couldn’t sign anyone better than Welbeck

Matt Stead

Arsene Wenger has issued another update on Danny Welbeck’s fitness, while adding that he would “not find a better player on the market”.

Welbeck has not featured this season due to a knee injury, with the England striker undergoing an operation in September. Arsenal said that Welbeck would be out for ‘a period of months’ at the time.

It then emerged that Wenger expected Welbeck to return before Christmas, although England boss Roy Hodgson felt he would be out until March.

By October, Wenger had said that he hoped Welbeck would return by January “at the earliest”, before reports broke in December that the 25-year-old would be out until late February.

Wenger has now revealed that Welbeck is “two to three weeks away from a return”, and that he would prefer not to sign any more players after Mohamed Elneny’s arrival from FC Basel.

Asked whether the club could sign more players this January, Wenger replied: “I would prefer to have the players back from injuries. Welbeck is two to three weeks away and I am confident I will not find a better player than Welbeck on the market.”