Arsenal's Arsene Wenger refuses to pull transfer trigger just to ease fans' frustration
Arsenal's Arsene Wenger refuses to pull transfer trigger just to ease fans' frustration
"If you say we are under pressure to spend money, then yes
we are. But I feel more under pressure to spend the money in the right
way"
Arsene "No"s: Wenger wants new faces but won't be badgered into buying
Masashi Hara
Arsene Wenger has promised to IGNORE fed-up Arsenal fans and claimed he will not be pressurised into spending big this summer.
Gunners
legend Ian Wright echoed the growing concerns of many supporters by
claiming the north Londoners are in “serious trouble” and need to make
up to eight top-class signings to fill out the squad.
But
Wenger has kept his chequebook firmly in his pocket and Arsenal fans
could end up showing their discontent if things go badly at this
weekend's Emirates Cup.
When asked directly whether he could understand the fans’ frustrations at the lack of signings after boasting of having big money to spend this summer, Wenger said: “I don’t know what you mean by that.”
Instead,
Wenger insisted he will not be bullied into big-name signings, stated
that spending money in the right way is more important and claimed he
has already made a “top class” signing in French starlet Yaya Sanogo on a
free transfer.
Wenger said: “We have signed Sanogo. He has not
made the headlines. Why? Because he is not 50-100 million pounds. But I
am quite confident he will make them [headlines] soon on the pitch and
that for me is the most important.”
Those words are unlikely to appease the growing unease and tension among the Gunners' supporters - especially after Wright fanned the flames.
The former England striker claimed he would advise Luis Suarez to stay at Liverpool rather than join Arsenal,
who have not won a trophy for eight years and “need a goalkeeper, two
centre-halves, two full-backs - for both left-back and right-back
positions - another midfielder and two strikers.”
Wenger said: “If
you say we are under pressure to spend money, then yes we are. But I
feel more under pressure to spend the money in the right way. That’s
what I will try to do.
“Sanogo will surprise you because your
expectation doesn’t look as if it is really high. He will not surprise
me because my expectation level is very high. He is a top class striker.
“I am confident we will make signings. You look at many teams
around us and nothing has happened until now. These teams have
financial potential as well. At the moment the market has not moved a
lot, apart from Man City, nobody has done anything.
“Money is
important. It’s not the only thing in the game. We have built by hard
work, first of all, a team that has quality. The money we now have
available is down to the quality of our work down the years.
“We
want to spend it if it strengthens our team. Just spending money is not a
quality. Spending the money, buying the right players that is a quality
and of course we are in favour of it. But it has to be the right
players.
“I would like to reiterate that we have signed Sanogo.
Again, the quality of player is not only linked to the amount of money
it costs. If we can do some more, we will do it.
“I’m always
pretty relaxed because I always feel I will try to make the decision
which I feel is right for the club. It doesn’t mean I always manage to
do it. But I work with that conscience.”
Wenger tried to be cute as he tried to tread the line between talking up his current squad and making it clear he does want to make signings.
But
Wenger admitted his relief at not losing any big names this year, after
selling Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the past two
summers.
He said: “I am in a new situation, because at least I
haven’t lost players! In recent seasons I have always faced the fact
that we have started the season with quite a balance because we’ve lost
players. That is a new situation and at least we have a stability.
“Of
course we want to bring in something more. At the moment that doesn’t
work as quickly as we would have wished, but it’s not only like that for
me, it’s like that for other managers as well.
“If you can give me names of players who are better than the players we have, then I am ready to talk about it.
“The
young players are not over over the hill, they are on the way up.
Players like Jenkinson, Gibbs, Wilshere, Ramsey, Chamberlain, Walcott,
Szczesny, they are all coming on.
“They have experience now in the
Premier League and they will be better. It’s not only about bringing
players from the outside. It’s about developing players that we have.
They also have a special bond and that is something that is important in
football.
“But every signing that strengthens our squad is
fantastic for us. You know the level of expectation is very high and the
level of competition is also very high.
“Manchester United, City,
Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham - everyone will want to win the
championship. But at the end of the day only one can do that. No matter
how much money anyone spends.”
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