Mikel Arteta Advocates for Larger Premier League Matchday Squads

Mikel Arteta has renewed his push for bigger Premier League matchday squads, warning that the current limits no longer reflect the physical demands on modern players.

The Arsenal manager, speaking ahead of his side’s latest fixture, laid bare his frustration at having to leave senior professionals out of his plans simply because of the 20-man cap.

“I've been trying to persuade the Premier League and the clubs to be able to extend the number of players that we can have, especially the outfield players in the squads because we play more and more games and the load is unreal,” the Spaniard said. “Not giving the chance to those players to be able to be here to participate because maybe it demands the qualities of one of those players and we don't have them available.”

That strain, he suggested, is no longer an abstract sports-science concern. It shapes tactical choices, selection calls and, ultimately, careers.

“It’s just a shame so it's the most difficult part of the job,” Arteta admitted. “But there's nothing to do with that, it's just a fact that we can bring 18 outfield players and we believe that for today's game these were the options that we needed, especially with the physical condition of certain players.”

While managers wrestle with squad limits at home, transfer manoeuvres involving Premier League forwards continue to stall on the continent.

Napoli had been expected to accelerate their interest in Arsenal’s No9 once Romelu Lukaku left the club. The logic was clear: sell the Belgian, then move aggressively for a new focal point. That surge has not yet arrived. The Italian side have so far held back, leaving the striker’s future at Emirates Stadium unchanged for now.

Elsewhere, another high-profile No9 is still searching for certainty.

The former Bologna striker who joined Manchester United in July 2024 has yet to fully settle at Old Trafford, his adaptation to the Premier League still a work in progress. At the same time, Chelsea’s stance on Nicolas Jackson has quietly shifted. Standard Sport have reported that the Blues would be prepared to sanction his sale for the right price.

Between managers calling for larger benches and clubs weighing up whether to cash in on their centre-forwards, one theme cuts through the noise: in a calendar packed to breaking point, every slot in a squad – and every decision on a No9 – now carries real competitive weight.