Arsenal fear Wenger will spend NOTHING on transfers this summer
Gunners have backed away from Cabaye and Guaita with four
days left in the window - could freebies Sanogo and Flamini really be
it?
Michael Regan
Arsene Wenger HAS re-signed Mathieu Flamini - but now Arsenal fear
their manager may end up not spending a single penny in transfer fees
this summer.
Midfielder Flamini, a Gunner from 2004-08, was without a club after leaving AC Milan has been handed a three-year contract worth £30,000-a-week.
The 29-year-old becomes the north Londoners' second signing of the summer after rookie striker Yaya Sanogo, who also joined as a free agent.
But there is a very real concern now that those are the only two deals Arsenal will end up doing in the summer transfer window after missing out on a succession big-name targets.
That will infuriate fed-up fans and cause major frustration in the boardroom, because Wenger has had a £70m transfer kitty at his disposal.
Arsenal have still not given up on making a dramatic signing before the window shuts on Monday night and are still keeping close tabs on Real Madrid trio Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil, who all remain possibilities.
But they are understood to have dropped their interest in Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye as they have refused to go anywhere near the Toon's £20m valuation.
That deal is dead in the water unless the Geordies do a dramatic U-turn.
Similarly, Arsenal have been scared off Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita after having a £6m bid turned down.
They could also do with a replacement on the left flank after Lukas Podolski was ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in midweek against Fenerbahce.
Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, now at Lille, and Manchester United's Nani are possibilities, but Mirror Sport understands no deal is particularly close.
It leaves Arsenal with the very real danger of not spending a penny which would cause a major fans' backlash - especially if they lose at home to big-spending rivals Tottenham in Sunday's North London derby.
Ironically, the Gunners are in line to face one of the summer targets they missed out on, Gonzalo Higuain, after being handed a nightmare Champions League group including his Napoli side, last season's beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund and Marseille.
But despite a growing injury list - as well as Podolski, Mikel Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all out - Wenger seems reluctant to blow the dust off his cheque-book.
It is causing frustration, as chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke of the club's "escalation of financial firepower" in June.
Wenger will be under massive pressure from the board and the fans to spend.
It is believed to be particularly keen on Ozil and Di Maria, but there is a growing feeling that he will end up doing nothing further.
Midfielder Flamini, a Gunner from 2004-08, was without a club after leaving AC Milan has been handed a three-year contract worth £30,000-a-week.
The 29-year-old becomes the north Londoners' second signing of the summer after rookie striker Yaya Sanogo, who also joined as a free agent.
But there is a very real concern now that those are the only two deals Arsenal will end up doing in the summer transfer window after missing out on a succession big-name targets.
That will infuriate fed-up fans and cause major frustration in the boardroom, because Wenger has had a £70m transfer kitty at his disposal.
Arsenal have still not given up on making a dramatic signing before the window shuts on Monday night and are still keeping close tabs on Real Madrid trio Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil, who all remain possibilities.
But they are understood to have dropped their interest in Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye as they have refused to go anywhere near the Toon's £20m valuation.
That deal is dead in the water unless the Geordies do a dramatic U-turn.
Similarly, Arsenal have been scared off Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita after having a £6m bid turned down.
They could also do with a replacement on the left flank after Lukas Podolski was ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in midweek against Fenerbahce.
Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, now at Lille, and Manchester United's Nani are possibilities, but Mirror Sport understands no deal is particularly close.
It leaves Arsenal with the very real danger of not spending a penny which would cause a major fans' backlash - especially if they lose at home to big-spending rivals Tottenham in Sunday's North London derby.
Ironically, the Gunners are in line to face one of the summer targets they missed out on, Gonzalo Higuain, after being handed a nightmare Champions League group including his Napoli side, last season's beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund and Marseille.
But despite a growing injury list - as well as Podolski, Mikel Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all out - Wenger seems reluctant to blow the dust off his cheque-book.
It is causing frustration, as chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke of the club's "escalation of financial firepower" in June.
Wenger will be under massive pressure from the board and the fans to spend.
It is believed to be particularly keen on Ozil and Di Maria, but there is a growing feeling that he will end up doing nothing further.
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