In a week filled with suspense as Arsenal fans look to welcome a new signing, it looks as if we’ll have to wait a little longer according to Arsene Wenger’s latest comments.
The Gunners boss was speaking ahead of Saturday’s tie with Premier League champions Leicester City, and has revealed all of the latest news on the clubs transfer activity.
But in a press conference that was supposed to calm the already frustrated supporters, Wenger has shot himself in the foot by again refusing to comment on the rumours surrounding Shkodran Mustafi.
Wenger went on to admit that quality will always justify a players price tag, and if the below comments are anything to go by, it might not be good news for those waiting to welcome the German.
On whether Sunday’s 4-3 loss has influenced his decision to sign a centre back:
It was important before the game already. You do not sign players because you think it important or not. I believe it is very difficult to identify people and find them.
We have many examples in England of teams that spend a huge amount of money looking for central defenders. That is why everyone is in the market for the same players and very few players as well.
Talking about Mustafi:
I believe it’s better I don’t speak about any individual player. We’re working very hard, you’re absolutely convinced I don’t want to spend the money.
I would like yo reassure you that we are ready to spend the money we have. As always, not the money we haven’t got (because) it’s not my money.
Buying calms the fans down, but it is important to spend but even more important to spend it in the right way.
Talking about Lacazette:
We don’t talk about individual players. I told you already what the criteria is for the price of a player but you could add one more: the identity of the buyer.
When the buyer is English, it is true that it multiplies the transfer by two or three or sometimes by 10 because if for the same player and English club does not come in, he is worth £5million. But if an English club comes he is worth 35, 40 or even 50.
On struggles with the transfer market:
If you look at the whole transfer market, very little happens on the whole. It’s about the availability of players.
There is a huge amount of money for average players, there are plenty available. But to find the players that will strengthen your squad is much more difficult.
If it’s more difficult to attract players:
No. We have plenty of players who want to join us and I would say that even with the players who left, 99.5% of them have asked to come back even when they left. Thierry Henry is one of them, it’s not so difficult to attract players.
Before you pay over the odds you have to be convinced that the player is good enough to strengthen your squad.
That is not a problem but you must then have the money available to pay because we’ve already invested, people forget that, at a very high price and we will do it again.
Stay up to date with the latest transfer activity by following us on Twitter and Facebook!