Arsene Wenger has reassured anxious Arsenal fans that he’s working on signing a new defender but has hinted the size of the squad may preclude much more movement than that.
Speaking to Arsenal.com Wenger said, “Certainly, we will have to find one more defender. I can promise we work very hard on it. In fairness, everybody looks for players.
“I don’t want to comment individually because I do not want to destabilise clubs. I do not want to do to other clubs what some clubs do to us so I wouldn’t like to comment individually on any player”
However, Wenger also said that the slowness of the market is having an impact on his summer transfer business, both in terms of players coming in and going out.
He told Arsenal Player, “We still try to strengthen our side but I’m already very happy with what we show at the moment. If you look all around Europe at the different clubs there’s very little movement. I will all speed up in August I think.
We are traveling [to Cologne] with 23 players and 3 goalkeepers. We have a big squad already”.
Ealier, Wenger confirmed that Almunia and Bendtner were in talks with a number of clubs, but also said that the situations regarding Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas were no nearer to resolution. Fabregas will not travel to Germany as talk of another measly offer from Barcelona abounds, while Nasri will take part despite the uncertainty over his future.
Arseblog News is aware that should Barcelona fail in their bid to sign Cesc then the likelihood of Nasri’s departure will increase significantly.
Massive? Yes. But it also contains some massively shit players!!
Massive does not equal quality. So we’ve shipped Clichy and Denilson, Almunia and Bendtner will go, one of Nasri and Fabregas will go, I fully expect Squillaci to go… Surely that does leave some space?
Exactly
Sorry mate, Squallaci ain’t going anywhere, he is very much in Wenger’s plans this season.
Wenger’s stubborn aim is to prove to us, this lad has “quality” and will prefer to stake his reputation trying. The shock will come when he finally realize the Premiership will be tougher this season.
Cesc and Nasri can’t wait to jump ship, because they know, the team is far from being ready. Do not get me wrong, we will start well again, false sense of security.
I’m pretty sure Wenger knows Squillaci is rubbish … how can he not. But in Wenger’s mind Squllaci ‘can still do a job’ which I’m quite happy to see fulfilled ‘ring-fenced’ in the reserves. It’s not a case of Squilaci being quality, but of having qualities. As for Cesc and Nasri. The reasons for them ‘jumping ship’ as you put it are probably very different. With Cesc it’s his boyhood yawn, zzzzzzz, yeah, whatever, which has been going on for so long you can hardly call it jumping ship. But with Nasri we – that’s you, me, and every other… Read more »
What makes you think Squillaci will go? Wenger might now know he’s signed a duffer, but I can’t see he has any other option but to keep him for at least another year and get him to work on his game. As for Cesc and Nasri, I firmly believe both will stay. So where is the space coming from? Jens and Almunia both go and Mannone becomes third choice. Gervinho replaces Bendtner. Frimpong replaces Denilson. Clichy goes and Gibbs/Traore take over. And if Eboue leaves Jenkinson is already here. In addition Vela returns (not sure whether Miyaichi gets a WP)… Read more »
You forgot frimpong as cover for song mate. I agree w signing an attacking mid – hopefully Mata.
Cesc looks like he’s a goner, so a marquee in the mid would be nice too.
Quantity over quality
Stop dithering and start placing some realistic bids
Massively sh1t!
Well done our beloved Arsene Wegner, you know whats best..Good luck to you and your big squad for the new season.
Gonnersville well said, you actually feel my pain when we only hear things in the media and no action on the field.
What Wenger is saying is that he cannot make all the changes he wants due to squad restrictions. We have to offload players. He is not suggesting that we do not need players because our squad is massive
Mr Arsenal, always getting on one, lighten up mate
Rosicky will run for fifteen minutes then walk for the rest of the game. Why Conor Henderson – apart from being Brady’s new blue eye boy?
We need a GK (wouldn’t have minded Doni but preferred Given), a CB (Cahill or Jaglieka), LB (Cissokho?), Melo, N’zogbia and Mata. Much better squad with Alumnia, Bendtner, Denilson, and Rosicky out. Also Cesc or Nasri may possibly leave. Won’t be the same without Cesc but Nasri is easily replaceable.
Notice, Wenger is making weak bids, knowing he has NO serious intentions in the player and hoping other teams will out bid him.
That ploy is to get fans off his back at the start of the season!
“That ploy is to get fans off his back at the start of the season!”
If you think his transfer activity is all a massive PR stunt, and he’s acting in reaction to all the fan-hate that’s surrounding his management and the club, you would think he has realised that making feeble bids has done nothing to reduce the negativity amongst the supporters… It seems among some supporters (judging by some comments here and on gunnerblog) it’s done nothing but inflame the anti-Wenger sentiments even more.
Arsenal have a massive squad.To win trophies,be it the cc,you need players with quality.Btw you can’ t blame Nasri and Fab for wanting to leave. Jenkinson and Gervinho are names hardly to excite the fans or indeed be a statment of intent.
Until the quality central defenders are bought,Wenger can dream of smelling the trophies and by then Nasri and Fab will have gone.
Get real,Wenger and stop spinning tales.
Why do we have to wait another year to find out what we already know – Wenger is an egotistical prick that’s completely lost the plot. Arsenal will win nothing, the season will be shit and next summer he’ll be sacked. Would be better for everyone if we just replaced him now, sell Nasri and Fab and get in a manager who’ll have some money to work with and take Arsenal into the future.
@James
July 23, 2011 at 1:47 am
Why do we have to wait another year to find out what we already know – Wenger is an egotistical prick that’s completely lost the plot. Arsenal will win nothing, the season will be shit and next summer he’ll be sacked.
pity…What a sad unhappy life you have…
and so do you have a sad unhappy life!delusional like our manager!
oh well one more season until he’s gone.
The amazing thing bout some of the comments are, they are rehash for football tabloids.I used to laugh and think no one would believe the players suggested by these tabloids, I mean they generally pick up someone and put ” Arsenal is interested” before evolving into ” if Arsenal don’t buy X then we will9 never win”. However lately when I look at the comments, I realise some of you actually believe that crap and feverishly defend the idea of those signings. Seriously people, if you look at our past transfer record the names generally suggested by tabloids almost never… Read more »
truly, but after a while, u can’t help but think…cunts!
Legend! All comments have become a mini caughtoffside.com. And i have two things to add. 1. We lost the plot in the second part of the season due to our poor attack more than our poor defence. Note that i refer to the defence as poor. Goals dried up so did SN8. 2. We need a change of tactics in defence more than the ‘dream list’ of defenders the press wanks on us. Even if we signed Vidic and Lucio, they would still struggle with the high line we play. Maybe better at set pieces but probably more woes in… Read more »
Spot on OL! Its the tactics that are shit. Recall the Barca games where balls weren’t lumped into the box. Half the Emirates was jizzing about Kos. But against Birmingham? *ahem*. What AW needs to accept is that he needs help in his defense. When Pep became Barca coach, he said “This team is already good with the ball. I’ll make them good WITHOUT the ball”. Fuck Pep for saying something I agree Arsenal needs.
Wenger is a killer. Nonsense good squad. He is mental. Do not use pre season to judge arsenal squad. Injuries must come and the may last six to seven months .
we’re doomed….. I used to like AW but if he thinks this squad is good enough I give up… why does he think players want to jump ship and no world class players want to join us any more? and the so called board just sit there and let it happen… yep, we are doomed..
Still don’t think he’d spend even if we do offload a few…his stubbornness won’t let him!!yet again he wants to prove everyone wrong.Never thought I’d say this about him but he is the one who now needs to CUOCO!
He’s got HIMSELF convinced cus we were competing On all four fronts,that well be good enough and ready!but hasn’t/won’t address the fact that when the going gets tough…we get weak!!more experience PLEASE Wenger!
The squad is too large and full of shit players who can’t be sold.They are called”bad market”.We are stuck with them.A list comprising the academy,fringe players and the never do wells is a large squad lacking quality. Look at MAN U,MAN CITY,LIVERPOOL;large but full of quality.Would you call Djorou,schillachi,etc quality?
Thoroughly depressing comments from Wenger. But should we honestly have expected anything else after the last 7 years? Even my mum can see that Jenkinson, Gervinho plus 1 and minus Clichy, Bendtner and Almunia is not going to make up the difference between last season’s 4th and next season’s 1st. I am just beside myself with irritation and pent up frustration with Arsene Wenger’s complete inability to confront the mentality of the ‘also ran’ at Arsenal. I feel like the season is already over three weeks before it is due to start. Tell me this is all a dream so… Read more »
I am so sick of ungrateful arsenal ‘supporters’, ow Arsene this or ow Arsene should that…because before Arsene came we were winning everything under the fucking sun!….oh, no wait….we weren’t. All we do is manage to finish in a top 4 of elite clubs, clubs with sugar daddys or happen to be the richest sporting club in the world. And what does wenger know anyway…he was lucky enough to add players to a team that already had a fantastic defense…the players he brought in over the years have been shite! Right?! Overmars, petite, viera, Henry, clichy, tv, rvp, adebayor, toure,… Read more »
I think perhaps you should take your Prozac and learn some manners. The same is applied to the questionable few abusing AW, to doubt him is expected; to verbally abuse someone who has done so much for us in the past is disrespectful at best. Save it for the cocks. We’re all entitled to an opinion whether it’s pro Wenger rhetoric about what he achieved 6 years ago or those that think it’s time for a change. Personally I’m on the fence leaning towards the need for change from manager to the board. Manager because I think AW is too… Read more »
all arsenal fans complaining abt nt signing enuf speculated players are too naive, wat u want u cant av! Period. They aint realistic! A cb? Yes, an am or cm? No!
I screamed in disbelief when I read Wenger’s latest. Who cares if we’ve got a first team squad of 26 – what matters is how many are up to the job NOW. Take away those likely to leave (Fab & Nas), those injured more often than not (e.g. Gibbs & Diaby), those just not up to scratch (e.g. Squillaci, Eboue), and unproven if promising youngsters (e.g Frimpong) and the squad looks pretty thin. Then take away those who might be away for the Africa cup …. Le Boss is drinking in the last chance saloon. I seriously think he may… Read more »
More dithering and pontificating. Bloody well sign some players!
Who should we sign then you miserable bunch of twits? Cahill, samba, jagielka? None of those players are world class? United signed Phil jones, Chris smalling…Liverpool signed Stewart downing(sniggers) world class? No!! Who the fuck is there out there that is better than what we have? (not counting squillaci!) ;0)
[…] the same, the manager says he is looking for a defender, which is something I suppose. He says: Certainly, we will have to find one more defender. I can promise we work very hard on it. In […]
Was Wenger ever going to come out and say ‘I need three more before the start of the season’?
He will buy Cahill or similar.
And he will buy Mata (or similar) if Cesc leaves.
Nasri leaves? Someone else.
Not ideal, and we’re not going to win the league, but Spurs are losing Modric and Liverpool are gambling an awful lot of money on English beef.
People can moan about cups, but the next cycle is all about Mancini’s boys, and I suspect Ivan and Silent Stan know it.
If you keep making sense, then no one will understand you…
Man City’s threat is real, but their romp to the title in 2012 is far from given. They finished strong in 2011, but they have yet to maintain throughout the whole season.
omg the majority of people on here are soooo depressing!
I love arsenal and will always remain optimistic,
Last year we came so close to winning something and tbh we still have near enough the same team now!
adding strength in depth will be the best thing wenger can do as well as work on physicality and mental attitude
Agree……but will he???
Buy a ‘king dictionary Sanmi. Just got some paper tickets from the club, which makes me happy. WE’RE ALL DOOMED TO AN ETERNITY OF MISERY!
Enjoy the weekend folks & stop making yourselves depressed about Wenger’s words being tight when he speaks to the press. 🙂
[…] having already revealed that he is in the market for a new defender, while still trying to keep hold of prized duo Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, the Frenchman told […]
Question: What if Gervinho turns out to be the next Henry? It’s a big IF I know, but hypothetically, if he did turn into a goal machine next season that seriously enhanced our attacking threat quite considerably… how do you think that would impact on the team’s in general and our ambition to win throphies?
*trophies
I don’t think Wenger has lost the plot. He’s done a lot of good to Arsenal over the years and only has best interest of the club in mind. We have quality young players coming up. The club is very healthy financially. This all fits in with the new regulations.
Would Wilshere have developed as well and quickly if it wasn’t for Wenger’s philosophy?
A lot of what I read on here seems to be pessimistic short-termism.
let’s see how Arsenal player behaves today. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing Gervinho run around in an Arsenal shirt!
I´m sorry but Wenger is becomimg more and more deludede and arrogant. We dont stand a chance in hell of winning anything with him. A new voice and change of backroomstaff could make this team good but not without at least a new GK, CD, LB, and a DM. Wenger will always be in my heart and a true Gunner but every now and then things need to change to move forward.
Once again Wenger talks a good game but when August comes he fails to walk the walk,every bloody year,lets hope Gervinho is really the new Henry because otherwise we will be at sixes and sevens come the new season.
Nasri out, Eboue out, Almunia out, Bendtner out, Clichy out, Fabregas out, Denilson out
In – Gervinho – and a defender.
lol
we need two defender enough said
jageilka was a fare opening bid to flush out how much everton want for him, and to let them know if they didnt already we will not spend fortunes on average players.12 million max cahill would be an average signing at best, the only thing that he will do for us is bring goodwill from the press and ref’s for having another englishman in the team. 8-17 million(17 million this is why wenger doesnt by english) Samba although having the least technical abillity of the three has the qualitys which our team lacks being PL experienced,tall, strong, and good at… Read more »