Arsenal were in the market for a forward and a midfielder in the winter window and did decide to let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang go at a considerable financial pain for the club.
But their top target Dusan Vlahovic did not answer their call, joining Juventus, and their interest in Arthur petered out towards the end of the transfer window.
Many believe Arsenal have left themselves short for the last 17 league games of the season and a new signing could have aided their hopes of finishing in the top four.
But Arteta stressed that Arsenal were never going to bring in new players for the sake of adding more bodies to their squad.
He indicated that the players Gunners wanted to sign were not available for them in the winter window.
The Arsenal manager said in a press conference when asked why the club did not sign anyone in January: “We are very clear.
“We only want the best players and the best people in this club.
“When we are in a rush and the reasons are not the right one for getting a player into the club, we decide not to do it.”
Arsenal have gambled on qualifying for Europe and doing the bulk of their business in the summer transfer window.
