It’s taken what feels like a whole summer, but Arsene Wenger has finally spoken out about Shkodran Mustafi and the it’s good news.
Following the 0-0 draw with Leicester City, the Gunners boss spoke to French TV channel SFR Sport, who’s quotes have been transcribed by the London Evening Standard, to provide the latest on his attempt to sign the centre back.
It’s been no secret the Arsenal are after the 24-year-old’s services, and after talks stalled with Valencia over the transfer fee for Mustafi, Wenger has insisted the work is being done.
Mustafi will come in to cover the injured duo of Gabriel and Per Mertesacker, a factor that Wenger admitted was making it hard to find the right player to slot in at the back.
Mustafi? We hope it will be done. We are struggling to find the players we need.
He is one of a number of players we are looking at. Negotiations are ongoing.
We must be responsible. At the end of the day we are a company with 600 employees, everyone must be paid at the end of the month.
This is a deal that Arsenal are hoping to wrap up as soon as possible, with Mustafi’s arrival paving the way for a number of departures from the Arsenal camp.
Mathieu Debuchy is expected to head out of the exit door for good, whilst Calum Chambers is on the list to be loaned out after Rob Holding took his place in the line-up vs. Leicester.
During mid-week West Brom manager Tony Pulis spoke out about the rumours of Arsenal approaching the club for their centre back Jonny Evans.
The former Manchester United defender is believed to be on Wenger’s radar, and Pulis admitted that he may be reluctant to letting the Irish international go.
Tony Pulis on Jonny Evans: “You don’t want to lose your best players, but in football sometimes that happens.” pic.twitter.com/uXkCRP8j8D
— Fresh Arsenal (@Fresh_Arsenal) August 19, 2016
We’ll have to wait and see how Arsenal react to a poor start to the season, leaving them to play catch-up with their Premier League rivals once again.
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