Arsenal fans have Mikel Arteta theory after bizarre late substitution against Forest

Arsenal fans are suggesting that Mikel Arteta's bizarre decision to bring Sead Kolasinac on in the final few minutes against Nottingham Forest was a clear message

Arsenal fans have suggested that Mikel Arteta was sending a message to the board after making a bizarre sub in the dying minutes of their FA Cup third round defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

With the Gunners trailing and in desperate need of an equaliser following Lewis Grabban's 83rd minute opener, Arteta sought help from the bench.

But supporters were flabbergasted when they saw Sead Kolasinac of all people readying himself on the touchline.

The Bosnian defender was brought on as a like-for-like replacement for Cedric Soares, which offered Arsenal zero fresh attacking impetus.

To precisely no one's surprise, the decision went down like a lead balloon on social media, but some supporters have come up with an interesting theory to explain the madness.

They believe Arteta was trying to emphasise to his bosses that the squad needs reinvestment, particularly with chief goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang off form and seemingly on his way out of the club.

After all, bringing on a defender when you're in desperate need of a goal is a pretty good way of saying you're short on firepower.

"I think the only way Arteta could have made the message any clearer to the board was if he literally held up a sign saying ‘I NEED SOME SIGNINGS," one fan posted.

Was Mikel Arteta sending a message to the board? Let us know what you reckon in the comments section below...

"Think the message is loud and clear that we need bodies in this window. Kolasinac sub said it all," tweeted another.

"Kolasinac sub was a complete ‘this is all I have to work with’ message to the club," another wrote.

Whether that's genuinely a window into Arteta's soul or not remains to be seen, but the result itself should be evidence enough that the Gunners are in need of a player of two.