Wenger hints at ´one or two´ signings

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the club could sign ‘one or two’ players during the transfer window to bolster the squad.

Following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City in the FA Cup third round, the Gunners must replay the tie between the visit of Manchester City and a trip to face Chelsea, before rounding off the month by hosting West Ham and Liverpool.

And following the loan departures of Marouane Chamakh and Johan Djourou, Wenger said there is ‘room’ in the squad for new arrivals before the close of the window.

“(Abou) Diaby’s coming back and if we find one or two on the transfer market, then (we can cope with the fixture list),” Wenger told the club’s official website.

“Let’s first keep the players we have and maybe add one or two. We lost Chamakh and Djourou now, so there’s some room.”

Focusing on the game, Lukas Podolski and Kieran Gibbs cancelled out Michu’s opener only for Danny Graham to force a replay with an 86th-minute leveller.

But Wenger was adamant that Aaron Ramsey should have been awarded a penalty after supposedly colliding with Dwight Tiendalli, with replays showing the midfielder tripped on his own heels.

“It was a penalty and the referee saw it, you know why he did not give it? Because he thought the guy had not done it on purpose, and I think as well it was accidental, but he did not trip himself, he was caught clearly by the leg of the Swansea player,” Wenger said.

“We should have won this game. I felt the first half was a bit locked and one-paced, as much as the second half became much more open.

“It’s frustrating to concede a goal (Graham’s equaliser) just like that. Even on the corner, we were first to the ball and didn’t win the ball. We have shown quality and heart and it’s quite good if we can repeat that.”

Meanwhile, Swansea coach Michael Laudrup also rued the extra date to the calendar with the replay – with two League Cup semi-final ties against Chelsea coming up – but commended his team’s ‘courage’ to recover after Arsenal turned the game on its head with a quickfire double 10 minutes from time.

“A replay wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, especially with the two League Cup games against Chelsea in mind and the league games coming up,” he told reporters.

“It’s a very tight schedule. But a replay is better than a defeat. It always matters if you lose a game so a replay is another big game to look forward to.

“The main feeling is that it was a fair result. They scored two late goals but we showed great courage to come back at the end.”