Wenger focused on current squad

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not intend to lose any sleep over how to best tackle the January transfer window and will instead focus on getting the best out of the players he already has.

The Gunners are expected to make some moves to bolster the squad this month, with a £10 million bid for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez said to be on the table.

Marouane Chamakh has already left the club to join West Ham on loan while fringe players like Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci will also be offloaded.

However, as he prepares to take his team to Swansea for tomorrow’s FA Cup third round tie, the Arsenal manager wants the focus to remain on the side producing the required performance rather than thinking about how to boost any perceived deficiencies.

“In our job it is important that you focus on what is really important, the players who can help the club to win the games — those who are somewhere on the transfer market will not help you to win the games,” Wenger said.

“For us it is important to focus on our next game and our next game can only be won by the players who are here.”

Wenger admits it is becoming harder to locate bargain buys and accepts pressure is for players to make an instant impact rather than be allowed time to grow at their new club.

However, the Arsenal manager does not expect many major moves in the opening week of the January window.

“(I’m expecting it to be) very calm because, first of all, I believe there is little money and what can happen is basically a transfer market within the English clubs,” Wenger said.

“That is more difficult than with the foreign clubs. Overall, I believe that not a lot will happen.’’

Arsenal crashed out of the Capital One Cup at npower League Two Bradford to see another chance of ending their trophy drought in 2013 disappear.

Wenger intends to take a strong squad to Wales as he looks to continue his own personal love affair with the world’s oldest knockout competition, which brought Arsenal their last piece of silverware back in 2005.

“It is something special because it is something exciting, it is watched all over the world. It has a special history in England and I always respected that,” Wenger said.

“I am always sad when we don’t win it or when we go out. We will put our maximum effort in on Sunday to win the game.”

For his part, Swansea manager Michael Laudrup believes all the pressure will be on Arsenal tomorrow.

Laudrup said: “For them when you are a top team you are obliged to at least compete until the end to win things.

“There can only be one winner in all competitions and two teams in a final and they are expected to at least be in the semi-finals. There is more pressure at this stage on Arsenal than on Swansea, that is obvious.’’