Mikel Arteta Calls for Larger Premier League Matchday Squads

Mikel Arteta has renewed his call for bigger Premier League matchday squads, warning that the modern schedule is “unreal” and leaves managers without the tools they need on the touchline.

The Arsenal manager, speaking about his latest team selection, admitted the harshest part of his job remains telling senior professionals they will not even make the bench – and he laid the blame squarely on current squad rules.

“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 frustration cuts deepest on matchday. Managers can feel the gaps in their options more than ever, particularly when injuries and fatigue bite.

“It’s just a shame so it's the most difficult part of the job,” Arteta continued. “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.”

Wider Context

His stance drops into a wider backdrop of uncertainty around forwards across Europe.

Napoli had been expected to accelerate their interest in Arsenal’s No9 once Romelu Lukaku left the club, with suggestions that the Italian side would move quickly after the Belgian’s sale. That surge has not arrived. Despite the exit, Napoli have yet to turn that reported intent into a concrete push for the striker.

The theme of unsettled centre-forwards runs through England as well.

At Old Trafford, a summer arrival from Bologna in July 2024 has not yet fully found his feet. The adaptation period has been bumpy, the fit not quite right so far, and the scrutiny has grown with each quiet performance.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are weighing up their own options at the top end of the pitch. Standard Sport have reported that the Blues would be prepared to sanction the sale of Nicolas Jackson if the right offer lands on the table, a clear sign that no position in their attack is entirely safe.

Arteta’s demand for deeper benches, Napoli’s hesitation, a striker still searching for rhythm at Manchester United, and Jackson’s uncertain future at Stamford Bridge all point to the same reality: in a season of relentless fixtures, the margin for error in squad building has rarely been thinner.