Arsene Wenger is looking forward to a summer without transfer upheaval and stressed that starting pre-season preparations with a stable squad will be hugely beneficial ahead of next term.
As has been well-documented Arsenal’s off-seasons have been pockmarked with big name departures in recent years but the boss has underlined that all players he wants to stay will do exactly that this time around.
“It’s a really wonderful feeling knowing everyone I want to stay will stay,” Wenger is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.
“It’s important because for several summers it has been a difficult time.
“It started with Cesc Fabregas, last year it was Robin van Persie and we cannot forget Samir Nasri either.
“We have started going to pre-season camps with a player being half in and half out. It’s not the best way to prepare.
Flush with funds and tipped to be a big player in the transfer market, the boss did admit that he has ambitions to strengthen the squad before again putting into perspective the importance of squad harmony.
“We can talk about new signings and I hope we achieve that but this stability is more important than any new player who comes in.
“This team has that stability. It has shown mental strength when things went wrong. The players have filled me with pride.”
One player who does have a question mark over his future is Bacary Sagna. With only one-year left on his contract and both PSG and Monaco said to be monitoring his situation the Frenchman looks on paper to be the most high profile potential departure.
While a replacement would likely be high on Wenger’s shopping list, current back-up Carl Jenkinson has already set about staking his claim for a right-back starting berth.
“Next season is a big one for me and I want to grab it with both hands,” Jenkinson told the Daily Star.
“I want to be the first-choice right-back at this club and I am not going to stop working until I get there.
“It’s what I want to achieve and after that I want to stay in the position for years to come. I’ve got to work my socks off and keep developing if I want to do it.”
Best of luck to him, you can’t fault that kind of attitude. You certainly wouldn’t bet against Jenks coming good given the leaps and bounds he’s come on in the last 12 months.
Me too (Like Le Boss) looking forward to the first off-season in last few years where we didn’t had to make compromises to balance the books..
Spot on, I think money has been more of a factor than people would think. I reckon if we had been in a stronger financial position we might have made Van Persie stay, but £30m (fee+wages) was too good to turn down. Hopefully the new deals mean we can compete for slightly more expensive signings as well as muscle other clubs off our better players.
I think when it comes to the long term, using our new funds to pay the going rate in wages will be more important than bringing in new player.
We could have kept players like:
Na$ri
Van P£R$I£
Fabregas
Clichy
Toure
Ca$hley
if we could just have paid competitive wages. Times have moved on from total loyalty, we need a core of loyal British players and build around them with top, top quality at high wages, while bedding in our own excellent scouted and academy-graduated products.
we have a massive wage bill in our squad. the majority of these players couldn’t earn what we pay them elsewhere and our wage structure seems to have been mismanaged for some time. Why should the likes of Squallaci earn a similar salary as Van Persie did ?
totally nuts.
the average players in our squad should be paid no more that 20-25k per week so at least we would be able to get rid of them if we wanted to…
Exactly, I agree, but my point centered around paying ‘top’ players high wages just like every other team. That can be achieved by bringing more money into the club and also paying fringe players minimal wages, as they deserve.
If we weren’t paying Chamakh etc. stupid wages we could use that money to pay the top dogs a lot of cash.
(to your reply below)that’s absolutely correct. Our problem has been for some time that we don’t pay our world class enough and we pay players that would struggle to get into a Wigan team way,way too much hence the reason we have so many hangers on.
If we hadn’t blown so much money on average players earning vast sums these past years, we could have spent a fortune bringing in world class talent and afford their wages too.
total wage mismanagement is the reason we haven’t brought the players we need in
I think the main issue with deviating from our current wage structure is that it sets (often unwelcome) precedents. I’m not saying the current system is the most effective by any means, but Arsene and co. have worked within a system that allows for us to compete, in a very general sense, as effectively as possible. The reality is we have had the cash to spend more on wages than we have, but if we were to go out and pay the ‘going rate’ (translation: equivalent to what the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea are paying; see also: often… Read more »
“And not forgetting Samir Nasri”. Why not I certainally have a long time ago
Certainally? Bloody predictive text… Oh wait…
In certainally?
Nothing I want more than a Jenks goal
I’d be happier with years of consistent defensive performances and accurate crossing. I look forward to his develpoment in the coming seasons.
Nothing I want more than Gervinho leaving. Fingers crossed boys
Accidental thumbs down on Jenks, or as I like to call him, Buff Morrissey. Sorry.
I’m seriously optimistic for next season , as i’m sure many of you are, let’s hope we don’t get our hearts broken..
before any of that though, 3 points tonight please, I KNOW you can do it!
would be nice to for chelsea to get a draw too, would prefer to have an early ticket to europe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0mLsS7Owxo
I sincerely hope our lads approach the game in this manner.
I can forget Nasri
I think the whole world has….
The Man City bench is still very familiar with him.
Who?
Absolutely love Jenko. Class act.
Also, he looks the closest to Beckham than any other footballer out there. I think he said so, himself 😛
Please have the good grace to not compare anyone in our brilliant Arsenal team to Beckham.
Players like Jenkinson, Wilshere, and Ramsey are exactly what Arsenal need. Players who you can depend on giving their all in every minute of every match. Players who live and breath Arsenal. I cannot believe how much Carl has come on since he arrived here. He has a really bright future ahead of him, and I have no doubt he will put in the effort to become a great and dependable player for us for years to come.
Exactly, they are essentially the heartbeat of this team. Contrary to what some say, I don’t think the team should be built around one man (Wilshere) but around this core group of British players. Surround them with experienced and proven quality and our 6 Brits as well as the Arsenal will flourish.
You forgot to mention Gibbs.I just like Gibbs attitude he runs his heart off for the gunners!
Off topic.. It is 5pm here in Western Australia and I’m already on the lash.. Still 5hrs until the Newcastle game and my nerves are already shot. COYG!! I want to be drunk and happy, not drunk and suicidal.. Oh and both Sunderland & Everton please do us a favour. Get in!
It nearly 7 hours til the game!
Damn, your right. I will probably be passed out on the couch by then..
In shaking all over the place
Set the bloody recorder before you fall asleep.
you from Perth , mate??
Northern suburbs mate. More English than England 😉
haha nice mate, i’m from Beldon, not too far off!
actually i live in China now though :p
JENK-MONEEEYY!
Bye Sagna
You are our Sagna
Our only Sagna
You make us happy
When skies are grey
You’ll never know Bac
How much we need you
Please don’t take our Sagna away
Everyone staying? Lets hope ‘everyone’ doesn’t include Bendtner, Chamkah,Santos, Squid, Arshavin, Djourou,Fabianski, Mannone, Park, Diaby and Denilson!
He is quoted as saying: “It’s a really wonderful feeling knowing everyone I WANT to stay will stay.”
That is slightly different.
COYGs
I am not so sure about diaby and fabiansky especially since the latter’s latest stint as the goalkeeper…
Squillaci and Arshavin’s contracts are out in June so you don’t have to worry about them too much. I think theyonly ones we’ll struggle to sell are Bendtner and Diaby. The others have proved, at one point or another in their careers, that they have enough quality to play at a relatively high level. Not Arsenal high, but still.
“It started with Cesc Fabregas, last year it was Robin van Persie and we cannot forget Samir Nasri either.”
It’s almost as if Wenger is slyly listing those ex-players in order of cuntiness: “Fabregas was a bit cunty in his actions, of course Robin van Persie is an arch cunt … and lest you forget there’s that extremely cunty cunt Nasri who is cunty in a staggering variety of ways.”
how dare you, cesc is not a cunt.
Cesc’s desire to move was understandable, I agree. The thing which puts a negative tinge on that transfer (other than Barça DNA cuntishness etc.) is Cesc’s attitude in the last season of his time here. He didn’t seem to be putting in the effort, his mind was elsewhere. However, I can forgive him for that because unlike Arch Cunt Little Boy he served this club extremely well for 7 years prior to that.
Looks like Sagna is off. Not a disaster though. I really admire Jenkinson’s attitude and he’s had some good games for us. But is he ready to be in a Premiership winning side? I just don’t know.. But you don’t want to block his development so do you bring him up to the challenge and risk it? Wouldn’t like to be in Wenger’s shoes on this one.
If anything I think we owe it to Jenks not to rush him into full first team action either. My ideal would be for Sagna to stay on as our starter and have Jenks feature more throughout the season, kind of like the Monreal/Gibbs 50/50 split.
A few people around here have said a (proper) transitional season would be ideal, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve got a great feeling about Jenk’s future, but at the same time Sagna has been a steadfast legend who has notably this season lost his consistancy. I think the ideal thing at this point is to keep Bac for (at least) another year with regular Jenkinson rotation. The breathers might help Sagna not feel a complete burden upon himself after all these years where he couldn’t faulter as well as allow Jenks to step up his experience and polish up… Read more »
The good think about jekinson is that he is a dangerous attacking threat…… When we have someone like Walcott on the right wing who keeps running inside all the time (on wenger’s orders, I think), jekinson gets forward very quickly, his work rate is almost as good as ramsey….. And his crosses are also very good….. He just has to improve his defensive side a bit since Walcott doesn’t help there either……. All in all having a capable, ambitious, fairly talented player like jekinson helps a lot….. And above all, he is a gunner and a gooner who is always… Read more »
Wow when he puts it like that, it will be nice as every year has been painful for a long time in the off season. Always saying good bye to players in their peak. Lets hope we can get some of the dead weight off the books and hope some of this eye brow raising speculation in the papers about our transfers comes true. One good thing about all these seasons is that we look to be doing our transfer business earlier in the window again.
He said ‘everyone I want to stay will stay’, that doesn’t include the deadwood
Retaining the best sixteen should be the target and doing away with rejects is my wish.
May 19, 2013 at 10:16 am
“It started with Cesc Fabregas, last year it was Robin van Persie and we cannot forget Samir Nasri either.”?!
It started waaaay before Fabregas! Vieira started this poxy trend, which Henry continued
Viera said fuck off to Real and stayed with us until he was over his prime and Henry left because he had given his all to the club to the extent he has a fucking statue..
But I get your point, Viera hasn’t been replaced and Henry, well, that cunt was supposed to replace him and that’s what this article about, the cunts that left.
He has a CELEBRATING statue, not a fucking one!
I’ll show myself out.
It started when we sold Ashley Cole to Chelsea.
It started when Anelka took the piss out of us. Cuntley just saw him get away with it, looked at the bag of money Mourinho showed him (illegally) and said “I’ll have some of that”.
I disagree. Henry and Vieira both were around 28 years old, having given the zenith of their careers to Arsenal. The worrying trend started when players who just reach the peak of their careers start to leave i.e. Fabregas and Nasri. Van Persie can also be counted in the latter group due to his ability to provide consistent performances by avoiding injury. His previous injury record has delayed the peak of his career. The current situation is a bit like the one at Ajax where people like Vertonghen, Vermalaen and graduates before them decide to leave at around 24/25 age.… Read more »
Dont be silly the actual time it started with after 2007/08 we almost won the league after that season we should of pushed on before that season they expected us to not even get 4th.
Flamini and Hleb left to important experienced players of our squad then we had a bad season 2008/9. Then Adebayor left and toure and the trend continued.
Now is the time to reverse it.
i like the Wenger’s choice of words,”…knowing everyone I WANT to stay will stay.”
could it be because the players left behind after the departures in the past have nice fat 4th place is great contracts they can’t earn elsewhere ? or maybe its that the top clubs worldwide have taken our best and there aren’t many players left now to enhance their own squads ?
U all remember that game at WBA, when that last mnt short was going in b4 that tackle of the season by GIBBS saved the day, i was like looking at a bullet comming at my direction and all of a sudden something just divert it away. COYG, let’s do this in the 1st 45 mnts.
Remember last time we demolished n’cstle in the 1st 45 minutes?
You mentioned it! It’s your bloody fault if anything goes wrong!!!
Let’s be honest: there’s nobody to sell. Had Wilshere stayed fit all season then maybe City or Barcelona or some other club might want him this summer, but luckily for us his injury problems mean that nobody will take a chance on him.
The real question, of course, is who are we going to bring in? We need four quality players to enable us to challenge for the Premier League and the Champions’ League. That’s gonna take some big spending and a commitment to pay top-dollar wages.
Will the club do that?
Our best players are also all tied up on contracts. Also, I think its massive that Wenger tied down our young British talent on long term deals. Its one of those moments we’ll look at further down the line and only then realize that the old man was on something great and see what he had planned for them and the club.
Its kind of like how some people are only realizing now how the manager guided the club through one of the trickiest moments in its history with the move to the Emirates.
Speaking of Wenger, what do you think will happen when wenger’s contract runs out next year?
Koscielny, Wilshere, Santi, Gibbs, Theo.
These players would certainly be snapped up by our rivals.
Ox, Jenkinson, Giroud, Ramsey, Scz.
These players would bolster any top team.
You are chronically negative Fatgooner, a few more like this and i’ll consign you to the ‘chelsea-type’ Arsenal fans column in my mind.
even assuming they do and sign some1 on big wages for us say 130k a week, can u imagine the hate wenger will get and that player after a bad game or 2?
Your right FG. We need at least 3 if not four quality players to compete for the title. If we don’t qualify for champions league I’m not buying that crap that we can’t attract talent because of it. When were we ever in for top top talent like hazard, falcao etc. The sort of players in our price bracket will come regardless. And fans just won’t accept that as an excuse for not buying the players we clearly need. Having said that, I think we will beat Newcastle today, and the club then have no excuses not to spend and… Read more »
I have high hopes for next season, but before that let spank this Mike Ashley Team. Arsenal for 3rd. #COYG
Woke up nervous. Dont think thats happened to me before. Please win today boys.
how long have you supported Arsenal ? When we used to be competitive for trophies this was a regular feeling…
Given the ’88’ in his name he might be a bit young for those memories to be clear.
I was born in 88 and I remember thinking it was just natural that ARSENAL the BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD, would win. Good prevails.
Cut us younger fans some slack!
no problem ! hopefully one day you guys will experience nerves as we go into the last match of the season having to win to get the premier league title !
that’s real nerves and I really hope we get those feelings again soon
You don’t remember that day in May 1989 when suddenly your food source was bouncing up and down like crazy, just out of your reach?
“..everyone I want to stay, will stay” sounds like Sagna might just see out his contract with us. Wouldn’t mind that one bit. Unless Wenger doesn’t want Sagna to stay, which sounds ridiculous but possible I guess.
It’s been a while since we had this kind of summer. It’s impossible to see how next season won’t be a success. Provided the right additions are made, blending with the experience, ability we right now have in the squad I see a trophy or two!
Praying for 3 points at the Wonga Manboobs Arena today to hopefully make the situation of keeping/buying players a bit easier.
AW has finnaly succeeded in purging this team of players not totaly committed to this club, most players we have now would break through walls if neccesary, just to see AFC win trophies.
Keeping players is never as exciting as signing new ones for fans
But getting the ‘British core’ signing long term contracts together really will prove to be a master stroke in the seasons to come. It’s possibly the most important and promising transfer related event we’d had in a long time.
This summer I wouldn’t mind signing one more player to add to our ‘Spanish core’ and getting those guys on long term deals too.
Don’t forget boosting out ‘German Core’.
Got to keep with the times after all.
@twisted cuntlocks
its been a while. And today is more important than most in recent times. This could make or break us for next season
I understand what you say but the past 7-8 seasons we have had a few moments where we have squeaked into 4th at the last minute !
shouldn’t be that way though should it ?
I hope we all feel mightly relieved come the end of the match
this year we need to sign players from premier league. players who got premier league size dicks. players who already know how to fuck vidices and ferdinands and terries arse. who can grind out 1-0 and 2-1 when we are playing away at places like everton fulham, stoke city, sunderland and so on. we need those players who wdont choke at 6 yard line while playing against Mancity, UTD, spurs or chelsea. some one who can fuck kompany and leascot’s arse and go ejaculate in Joe Harts face. we sign a cunt from french league he needs 10 games to… Read more »
I think you have anger issues
Sign Rooney?? Fuck off!!!
That’s all we have been doing this season. Grinding out results with awful performances.
We need players who help us dominate again, FFS. Some people are ridiculous.
Hahahahahaha funniest comment I’ve seen on arseblog in so many different ways. You my friend need help.
Yes it is wonderful after you’ve sold all our best players that the semi decent ones want to stay….
cazorla wilshere walcott koscielney semi decent? spud!
I’m having a feeling that fellaini an co will give Moyes a perfect parting gift today.
baines cross fellani head down to jelavich finish in corner of the net please
It’s a shame that Wenger is staying. More of the same next season then!
Knocked out early in the cups, out of running for Premiership by November. But pressing for third or fourth place!
Eight years of it! Year in year out
you know where the door is if you don’t wanna get behind team and manager
@ graham Hooch People like you piss me off, it’s all very well you jumping on the twats bandwagon saying “Wenger should go” but you omit to say who you would replace him with (and why), never mind the fact that he has constantly qualified us for the champions league while building a squad with one hand tied behind his back since our move to the new stadium (putting the club on a sound financial footing for the next 100 years by the way). But fans like you come on here demanding success and shouting for Wenger to be replaced,… Read more »
Dial Square
It’s amazing how thick many posters are on this website, even so you take the cake. Moron of the year is yours for the asking
Everything he said made perfect sense and can be backed up by numerous facts and statistics.
But you’re right, it is amazing how ‘thick’ some posters are.
Don’t keep too high expectations next season, guys. Our performances have been below par most of the games this season, even though we have reached excellent results since the sp*rs loss. We were extremely lucky with injuries this season, Giroud stayed injury-free (our ONLY striker really), Walcott stayed injury-free (our highest goalscoring player), Arteta stayed injury-free (our leader), and of course our best player Cazorla has also managed to stay injury-free. Diaby is not bad luck, it’s the way of things. Imagine us having to play without Arteta and Cazorla for the last 2 months. We don’t even have an… Read more »
Wtf carl jenkinson is not closing doors to psg. Wtf? Is he saying. What is going on.
Our squad will be more or less the same, sure don’t expect too many departures but we don’t have a single world class player.
Plus we won’t get into the CL so we won’t get any good players either. We are going to be Liverpool Mk 2.
All thanks to wenger and the board.
MOnreal, Cazorla – Spanish INternationals.
Walcott, Wilshere – England Internationals
Podolski, Mertesacker – German Internationals
Giroud, Koscielney, Sagna, Diaby – French Internationals
Verminator – Belguim International
Szcz, Fabianski – Polish Internationals
Rosicky – Czech International
Ramsey – Welsh International
Gervinho – Ivory Coast International
Thats 16 regular internationals.
We just got 4th, douche.
What’s important now is to keep this squad, clear the deadwood and under-performers, buy in a few quality players and we might well find us in the position we are familiar with 8 to 10 years ago when we are in Highbury. Just look at the example of Manu, stability of squad is very important aside some good signings.
Contrary to what most think, and I’ve said this on another article too; it would be really nice if Sagna retired. He has been so loyal, and he deserves to win trophies with a squad that is finally balanced and ready to win every trophy. Le Prof does say that its nice that everyone who he wants to stay, is staying. I pray Bac is one of them, as I have yet to set eyes upon a more bad ass, reliable and no-nonsense fullback. The bad patch of present will go, really hoping that he stays!
Oh sorry I meant Sagna *stayed. Apologies. The word ‘retiring’ was lush in my mind as I just read about David Beckham’s retirement.
I’d like him to retire at Arsenal, but not yet
Moaners gonna moan
What is good in knowing everyone will stay – Chamakh, Santos, park, arshavin, bendtner..etc.., 🙂 🙂 🙂
I love my Arsenal.
I love the positivity on this site iv missed it 🙂
Things are looking up and we will be stronger next season no question about that and Spurs will be imo weakened, their no threat anymore.
Gary Neville quote. They’re all going to be going after a group of players that there are not enough of. They’re not the biggest payers in the world and are they going to change that? They’re not the biggest payers of fees or wages. “It’s all about the club that gets out of the blocks quickest in transfers and goes early. You’ve got to get your business done early. Don’t think it can wait until August and then pick somebody up. “You’ve got to go early in June and by the end of June you’ve got to have the three… Read more »
Gary Neville is right but he Misses Out half the Story. That half is the New sponsorships and the New Tv Deal. That extra Money is what will Pay for the New Players. Finally our Budget includes Money to spend on Transfers. Hopefully that will make the difference.
OOOOHHHH SANNTIIII CCAAZZZZOOOOORRRLLLAAAAAAAA