Arsene Wenger says he expects to be busy in January when the transfer window opens, ready to bolster the Arsenal squad as they seek their first Premier League title since 2004.
At his press conference this morning, the manager was asked if he would be busy in the January transfer window. He replied, “I will be busy, for sure.”
The response seemed to surprise the journalist who asked him to repeat it, leading the Frenchman to repeat, “I will be busy. I said one month ago that we are short, especially in midfield.”
Wenger wouldn’t be drawn on stories about FC Basel’s Mohamed Elnenny, saying, “Unfortunately I cannot say anything about this player because nothing has been concluded.”
Of course for something to be concluded it has be started first, and the smart money would be on the Egyptian international joining the club very early in 2016. And from what he’s saying, it sounds like he won’t be the only January arrival, fingers crossed.
There’s also the possibility of some transfer activity the other way, with Wenger not ruling out the departure of unsettled Mathieu Debuchy.
So, not “I will be ‘very’ busy”. No very. #Wengerout
Wenger is a little too clever, he is probably thinking “I will be busy”, “We have to prepare for games in the FA cup, games in the league, there are lots of training sessions, and then there is the new Playstation I got for christmas…”
Reading this in Arsene’s voice made my day
Arsene doesn’t really have a choice if he genuinely wants to win something this year. He has to go and buy in January, we simply do not have enough players to compete in Europe and in the domestic competitions currently. Its honestly that simple, if he gets one or two guys in that are decent squad additions I think it will be the difference in us winning the league or not winning it. Obviously we need a midfielder to help juggle the burden with Flamini, and we need another striking option too as Ollie cant be expected to play every… Read more »
Genuinely don’t understand how people have thumbed my comment down.
If people think we can go through the whole second half of the season, with the squad being as light as it is now, they’re deluded.
If we wanna win the league then we need signings desperately.
honestly, I’m jaded from having this same conversation every January since eternity (2006)
Arshavin, Gabriel
Yes, if only we could be higher than top of the league. (Plus I hate all these world class players that he now manages to lure to Arsenal every summer).
“Nothing has been concluded yet”.. We have our first signing of the transfer window peeps.. Wenger keeps his cards pretty close to his chest, the fact that he hasn’t dismissed it completely makes it a very realistic possibility…
any signing of Elneny (or anyone else for that matter) can not be concluded till Saturday at the earliest, as that is when the BPL transfer window opens, we can have all the paper work signed and sealed, even lodged with the BPL, but it can’t be ratified till Saturday at the earliest. Then there is the matter of needing International clearance, Swiss FA and Uefa would also have to sign off on the move, and at this time of year that can take a bid of time.
I’m hoping we can cope with Newcastle without him…
Please stop with this BPL nonsense! It drives me to distraction ( along with EPL). Smh
We need to make a statement of intent. Go out and sign a couple of quality players. We won’t get a better chance to win the PL title
Am sorry but I don’t agree with you, that statement seems to suggest that our team is not good enough and only just playing well at other teams misfortune, nobody said that to other teams when season after season we have had loads of injury and played a weak team, not only do we stand a good chance of winning the league this year but also next year, the way I see it we stand a better chance next year as well since all our players would be injury free (knock on wood ) from the start of the season
It’s not that the team isn’t good enough. It’s that we are so thin at this point, an additional injury or two could force Wegner to play a reserve or youth team player. We have a couple of injured players who are clearly injury prone to the extent that they can not be counted on long term; (Welbeck and Wilshire). We have four more who are really getting on in years; (Arteta, Flamini, Mertesacker, and Rosicky).
Those who are injured are not dead or permenently retired. They will come back and someone needs to be on bench. Wenger’s problem is as he pointed out over and over again, to buy players who can add to the current team. Someone better than what we got. Those players are not only expensive but they won’t accept to be on bench. Chelsea can do that because they benched de bruyner and other players before selling them. We have half of our quad available and still at the top. Manure spent £260m with Van Gaal as manager and we think… Read more »
You deserve more than one thumbs up.
Buying buying is not the solution, but Arsene himself is saying we are short. Arteta, Rosicky and flamini need replacement. Chambers can fill the flamini role but we have no one to rotate with Ramsey. Elneny will be a good rotation box to box option to rest Ramsey or flam, but we only have oxlade chamberlain as backup for Campbell and Alexis. Theo will be needed in the striker role sooner or later. If we get a versatile attacking midfielder, maybe we can even rest ozil. That’s exactly how short we are.
Buying is the solution. If we wanna win it, we are gonna have to crakc a few eggs in the end. Lets not worry about who doesn’t play. every team at the top has a rotation of 2 players who come, and 2 that go because they didn’t make the squad and play enough. thats fine, you take the financial knock and move on. The club comes first, the fringe players need to be better than arteta and flamini in the middle and we need those players now to win the league. Lets get it done. and if we get… Read more »
‘Statement of intent’ – we are not ManU managed by LVG or Chelsea managed by that ‘Specialist in being fired’ to use the transfer window to make statements. I’m think Wenger is more jealous of Leicester than any other club currently. I’m sure he is disappointed at missing the Mahrez and Kante type of signing Leicester made. Ozil, Sanchez type of cut-price Superstar deals don’t happen in every transfer window. However, if Wenger finds another Reyes this window (along with the Egyptian/DM) then we are probably set for an exciting 2nd half of the season. Also on not getting a… Read more »
Will that Reyes be a Nolito this time? I think he will improve this team drastically.
So you think Reyes was a good signing ? A guy who rarely scores and wanted back to Spain from day one and didn’t have problems with Aragones calling Henry mierda de negro ?
“Unfortunately I cannot say anything about this player because nothing has been concluded.” first signing done!
Come on wenger
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTp8Z_B_T4lb2Lp6kVtJJsV8s6au0U4t8E7eB0Kj8Rb7fXs7mtiDBLDriLt
Who’s that then?
I watched scoutnation clips of Elneny…(i know) but as the only of having a look at him. I think he looks a ‘decent player’. Looks capable of the quick passing we like to do. Capable of ‘picking a pass’. Looks to have the physique we lack. So yeah….time will tell, but i trust Wenger
Arsene knows.
Get ex man utd player Hanerdez
who?
Why not ? Hernández found his scoring boots. None of our strikers is a poacher. Hernández has that too. I would welcome any player who can help us win the League and perhaps topple Barcelona.
isn’t there a rule that stops a pro from playing for more than two clubs in any one season, Hernandez has already played for two club this season, if we signed him we could not play him till next season.
You are correct about the rule. However, did he actually play a competitive match for Man Uropa in August before departing for Germany? If not, then he’s only played for one club this season.
Hernandez did play for utd this season, both in the league and in the CL qualifiers, 3 games in total.
I do not want El Neny to join just so I wouldn’t hear the crowd sing “Watch me whip, watch El Neny”.
Hate that song but this kinda made me laugh.
Unfortunately, he isn’t a striker and chances are the won’t be sung much.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t take that personally and get tapped up in a hotel, demand for a salary increase and then almost swerve off the road in shock when he is offered ONLY a little raise.
Already a classic….well done ??
Wenger busy means
he’ll sign elneny..??
Arsenal have the best chance they’ve had in a very long time to win the league. But I fear, I sincerely have my fears and my doubts that we can be consistent enough to achieve this. The players need to clear the mental block from their heads and approach each game with a ruthless winning attitude. The Man U teams under Ferguson had it, the Chelsea teams of old had it. This current Arsenal team needs this winning attitude more than ever, that’ll help avoid results like we had at Southampton, at westbrom and Norwich when we had the opportunity… Read more »
don’t know why this got thumbed down, it is spot on
United used to play with an arrogant attitude where if they were not winning they got angry and aggressive and you always believed they could come back, even from 0-2 down. I thought we could come back from 0-2 against Southhampton and see how that ended up!
It gets a thumbs down from me because every time we lose a game its regarded as some sort of mental weakness issue. What about all the games we win? If we had a mental block about winning we wouldnt be TOP OF THE LEAGUE. Its a tired old lazy cliche. By the way, the great Man U. teams he speaks of also lost games. Did that mean they had a mental block. Of course not. Its football, shit happens sometimes. Its how you respond. And we always respond.
Sorry but the Invincibles and during all the Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira , Kolo, Lauren years, we go into games knowing it is going to be a victory. Pundits used to say most teams in PL had no chance against us because they wouldn’t see any of the ball. The final sentence from the commentator was always like “That’s the treatment Arsenal give to team like Blackburn Rovers 5 -1”. We currently have a truly great team but the mental toughness can be improved. This started the time our players come out after a defeat saying we are so young etc…?
Tbh mate, it is burdening if we ought to look at the Invincibles every time. They have won the league before, so confidence and mentality is never an issue. Moreover, you have to take into account that it was only United rivalled us. Liverpool was challenging at best, and the sugar daddies not existed yet. No bazzilion pounds of TV deals either that levelled the competition. It was completely different circumstances. Now all the other clubs are capable of hurt us. No way we take Watford lightly as we met Charlton in the old days. Leicester, Stoke, Everton, doing well… Read more »
Tim Stillman’s blog from tonight addresses this issue pretty well, I did not know that Arsenal have not won a game from a losing position at half time for several years, oh boy!
Can’t wait to see Elnenny in an Arsenal jersey
Wouldn’t rule out bringing back some loanees back into the fold. Guys like Gnabry, Silva (I know arseblog love Wellington, lol) and Toral (can replace the roles of Arteta and Jack) can have a place in the squad, along with purchases.
Welligton was getting a good reputation at Bolton before his injury, but wingers aren’t where we need to strengthen at the moment.
Oh wingers are definitely where we need to strengthen. We are playing walcott who’s the only rotation striker option in the wing. Remove him and we have Alexis(injured), Oxlade chamberlain, and Campbell.
Alexis should be back soon (fingers crossed) and along with Ox and Campbell the manager will give other ‘back from injury’ players their first run out as wingers. Theo needs game-time to stay sharp so he’ll play on the wing regularly when HFB is at CF. Also we can have Iwobi and Jeff off the bench (they need game time), so we’re not bad there. MF is the immediate weakness.
Theo needs to stay match sharp, so he’ll get regular games on the wing if he’s not used as CF. Alexis should be back soon. When others return they’ll get some time on the wing to gain match fitness. So with Alexis, Walcott, Ox, Campbell and the other ‘returnees’ we’re not desperate. There’s also a rumour that Gnabry will return. I’m not saying we shouldn’t get one if a good one is available but we’re not desperate for a winger.
El niño
In other news, BBC are reporting that Remi Garde will try to get Loic Remy on loan from Chelsea. Silly Remi, Chelsea ain’t gonna let him go to a rival.
Hahahaaa, that’s a good one
Blogs, there’s no need for the “ready to bolster the Arsenal squad as they seek their first Premier League title since 2004” line. Stating the obvious like a shite news rag….
You’re better than that!
?
Elneny seems almost done according to the reports. Hardest signing would be finding a good right back with no guaranteed first team place if Debuchy leaves. It’s not often you can have France and England internationals as your back-up right and left backs. If Chambers improves as DM there is maybe no need for further buys.
Callum Chambers might fill in if Debuchy does leave in this window.
We would then have Jenkinson returning for next season. I think it will still be a good contest between him and Bellarin if Wenger fosters a healthy rivalry between them like he did with Gibbs and Monreal when he initially signed the LB.
He might do. Still think he is too slow to play alongside Mertesacker. Bellerin is so fast that he can cover for the BFG. Chambers might work with Kos/Gabriel partnership as he would get more backup
I would love to see Gonzalo Higuain. He has a fierce right foot, very athletic and seems to have a team attitude. With the chances we create he could easily hit 12 goals in the second half of the season. Giroud and Walcott seem quite wasteful at the moment. Not sure if Napoli will be willing to sell and their chairman is quite difficult to deal with and at 28 we dont want to pay silly money. The likelihood is slim unfortunately.
He’s fat huguain. Oh and Giroud has better haircut and better looking too. Also he speaks English and lives in London. Plus Giroud is not Argentinian. Remember the Falklands?
Also no guarantee he would make an immediate impact in PL. Giroud and Walcott have been really good as strikers so there is no need to strengthen in that front. Need Alexis back and Ox to find some form so Walcott can be played centrally and share duties with Giroud
Giroud wasteful with the goal ratio he has ? Lot of Arsenal fans only remember the last game.
To some we’ve been unlucky with injuries; to others we’ve actually been the opposite. Yet here we are on top of the league – able to field a very strong side – and even be thinking of rotating players against Newcastle and Sunderland. True, three of our most influential players are out. But Alexis could well be back for Sunderland. That’s a rested and chomping-at-the-bit Alexis – which is quite a different sort of Alexis than the chap that went off injured in November. True, Coquelin is out, but not only have we coped thanks to Flamini and Chambers, we’re… Read more »
Well said, sir
Well said, We have a chance to manage squad transitions better in this transfer window. Get the replacements early(I mean this window instead of the summer) for our older players and ones that want to leave, let them get acclimatized and settled in the squad and in london, and we’ll be raring to go for next year after a good preseason.
Out of context!I would like to have my opinion said!Lukaku is looking great this season with 15 goals already.He is only 22.Everton aren’t playing anywhere near even good.Would love to see if Wenger tries to lure him to arsenal.
Coveted the guy for years, before he went to Everton, I think he is mustard. Can u imagine him with Ozil providing?
Everton would want big dough though, £45-50m at least.
Has a poor first touch. His vision and heading isn’t better than giroud. Think he is stronger.less bullied. I don’t see him sulk like giroud sometimes.
He’s got pace. That’s a big tick. I think he’s a decent finisher. Potential to improve too.
I think of him I think of welbeck. We can’t have both.
Welbeck is a smaller version of Lukaku and Lukaku has a lot more experience playing centre-forward; experience that is finally helping him come good in the end-product department. Proven goalscoring and MUCH better hold-up play compared to Welbeck is why he’ll cost around £45m instead of the £16m that Welbeck cost us.
Not out of context at all, Indian Gooner. And a very good suggestion, too. I really wanted us to sign Lukaku when he was 17 but he went to Chel$ki instead because they paid double the price we could. The guy’s a fantastic centre forward and he’d do very well with us. I’d certainly part with £30 million to land him, although I expect Everton would ask for more.
My guess is all Wenger will do is bring in Elneny and let Debuchy go which to him would be “busy”. I think he feels as if Chambers could provide cover for Bellerin at right back and beyond him Flamini and Gabriel have played there (even Koscielny had a go there a few years back from what I remember for a match or two). As much as I’d like bigger names coming in, especially at striker, it won’t happen now.
Wenger: “I will be busy, for sure.” We’ll see. I’m sure that there’s an injured Swede out there who would be perfect for the squad. And I bet there’s an “outstanding teenage French talent” just waiting to be snaffled up. It’s been a strange season, hasn’t it? Somehow, despite being no better than we were last term, we are top of the table at the end of the year. Incredibly, all of our traditional rivals have managed to either completely disintegrate or have awkwardly stumbled on a regular basis. So even with the usual Wenger managerial mistakes we have managed… Read more »
Oh FG. The eternal ray of sun shine you are. I wonder, what exactly would you do if we won the league this year? No doubt you would still find a way to shit on it. Take a Valium and relax yourself.
Yes, we know you hate our manager and even our players (enough to call them spineless). You’ve ranted again and again – pretty much without variation – over the years. Worse than any Sp*rs fan I’ve ever known. I’ve never known you to support the club – certainly in adversity (when it really counts). I’ve never known you to be supportive of players. To situations. To bad luck when it strikes. You also seem to have acquired record numbers of “hidden to low comment rating(s)” in the process. So, I have to ask … what’s in it for you? You… Read more »
Each to their own, I kind of like FG’s negativity…stops me getting too carried away. Like it or not, it is partly true, it’s the best chance we’ve had in the last ten years, Arsene must be pissing himself laughing at Chelski and Manure ( I know I am ) but with that he finds himself under a bit more pressure, and to be honest if he can’t push the lads on to win the title maybe it would be a good time hang up his long coat. Chelsea will be concentrating on staying up and Utd are the gift… Read more »
Playing Barcelona in the CL is a win-win for us. Lose and we can concentrate on defending the FA Cup and winning the double. As for the PL, only those with no memory at all need be reminded that we were still on top of the league through most of January 2014; was definitely contending during January 2011; same goes for January 2009; and should have won the whole fucking thing 2007-08. But these were years when the cost of building the stadium had its greatest effect. We were pretty thin in terms of overall quality. I’m pretty sure Arsenal… Read more »
Yeah frankly it’s getting annoying. If Fat Gooner is, in fact, a Gooner, he should do a public service for all Gooners, and declare himself a Sp*d and generously spread his misery to those fuckers.
LOL love fat gooner positivity!!!
Now most of us don’t know about Elneny, but I’ve read a bit up on him and sounds just like the personality we’d all like to have join Arsenal. Coach for Basel credited that, “his nonchalance is his strength” in reference to the calm approach he brings to the game. Mentioned in an article as well was an instance when Basel played Maccabi Tel Aviv. While his friend and more outspoken compatriot Mohammed Salah was willing to mouth off about politics, etc. in reference to a game in Tel Aviv, Elneny insisted on focusing on football and, in all accounts,… Read more »
Piers morgan is a dick head
I agree with you, but what brought that up?
Piers moron is a dick head
FTFY.
Fat gooners a dick head too
Or maybe he just holds different opinions to you.
He must go to games hoping arsenal will lose.
Bigging up the spuds .
Ain’t won a title since 61.
Imagine the negativity if we were that bunch of *****
Learn to laugh at him. The rest of us have.
Wenger likely wanted to wait out the market to see what-else was coming into market 2016. He thus relied on the fitness of Arteta to cover Coquelin and Flamini. that is triple redundancy. However as mentioned, I was surprised he kept Arteta on as I mentioned he will likely be subject to niggles and knocks because of wear and tear issues. January was Wenger’s fall back in event worse case scenario came true which it did. Thereby he will now have to dip into the market for central midfield given paucity of options. IMO with Rosicky also continuously on the… Read more »
Those that think Wenger’s buying strategy lacks cohesion are not paying attention. Wenger has been (correctly) reconstructing this team since he realised the stadium debt inhibited team built around the young guns of denilson’s era were not cutting the mustard. His first move was to bring in Arteta and convert him successfully into a DM to stabilise the ship. He then started ending experience in all positions over the next 3 seasons spending over 60m a season. This was complicated of course by two key departures every season during that period before the stadium naming rights and new shirt sponsorship… Read more »
You explained earlier why Arteta is still there. He’s one of the very best ‘Hand Holders’ for the youngsters, hence his likely move to a coaching role.
Plus finally Wenger quashed this nonsense that “no one wants to win the league that’s why Arsenal will win it” This is simply the cohort of media pundits with mediocre careers and no experience in management let alone transfer window back pedalling and covering their arse pus setting up to minimize our achievement should we do so despite a very difficult and competitive campaign for everyone. Following their logic, last season is more a case of no one wants to win the league. We shot ourselves at the start, City were suffering a hangover and United were in transition. Liverpool… Read more »
Apart from the Southampton defeat Arsenal would have had 42 points or at least 40points from the first half of the season. If Arsenal will get 42 points from the second half of the season we will definitely be champions. The prospect is looking good.