Arsene Wenger has downplayed the comments from Ivan Gazidis which seemed to hint at yet another underwhelming summer in the transfer market by saying he’s ready to spend ‘big money’ if he can find the right players this summer.
Earlier, the Arsenal Chief Executive spoke about summer plans in a fairly unambitious manner, but speaking afer the 1-1 draw with Lens this evening, Wenger says the club is ‘very active’ in the transfer market and ready to splash the case.
“I am sure that my chief executive didn’t want to dampen the expectations on that front,” he said.
“We are very active. If we find the right candidates then we will spend the big money. We have already spent big,
“Until now, nobody has spent more on a transfer than we have in this country. Even if Pogba might fly from Italy to England today, I don’t know… Overall we have made a big investment already but we are active.”
Pressed on names like Mauro Icardi, Alexandre Lacazette and Arda Turan, the Frenchman said, “I wouldn’t like to come out on names because if you don’t get them afterwards, people ask why.
“We are active, very active every day and it’s not over. Today we are on July 22 and the transfer market finishes on August 31.
“You know that a lot happens in the last week, so it’s a long time to go, but we are active and we are working.”
Arseblog News understands that there is no interest in Turan, but beyond that it remains to be seen who Wenger is targeting ahead of the new season which begins on August 14th.
It does sound a little more encouraging than the news we had earlier, but the proof of the pudding will be in the spending.
Fingers crossed. Not prepared for another underwhelming season.
Why aren’t we spending massive money on Griezeman? He and giroud looked like a real partnership at the euros… We could do worse than such a signing. Can also play across the front 3 and at 10? Surely worth the spend…
He needs to get his wallet out. If (when) he doesn’t, and we have a shocking season, The Emirates will be a hell on earth. People will lose their minds, and rightly so. It really is do or die for Arsene and the board this year, people aren’t buying it any more. Everyone knows the money is there, everyone can see the holes in the team. It has to get done, if it doesn’t, I really do fear the fan backlash, and it would be such a shame to see Arsene’s time at the club end in such a horrific… Read more »
hell on earth, i don’t think so. this is wneger’s last season. he does well, everybody’s happy. if he doesn’t, he isn’t going to sign a new contract for sure, even if offered to. thus, at least half the arsenal fans will be happy.
Griezmann signed a contract in June, can we stop saying name please.
Um griezemann is the star of a team that lost the champions league in penalties and has been a top 10 team in Europe for a number of years(certainly better than us). He’s paid almost 6 million pounds a year and gets to live in Madrid. Doubt he’s gonna have any motivation to leave
Logically, why would he leave Atletico to join Arsenal? They finished runners up in the Champions League last year, as well as 3rd in La Liga, 3 points behind Barcelona and they are genuinely a threat in that competition these days. He’s just signed a new contract tying him up until 2021 and this is a club that pays Koke close to £200,000 p/w. What’s also to say that we haven’t made an offer (which would be rejected with ‘HAHA’ written at the bottom of the reply)? Too many factors to just say ‘spend massive money on Griezmann’ like it’s… Read more »
As cynical as it might sound, I have one word for you; money
It’s like you didn’t read a single word.
We do not have the financial superiority to turn a no into a yes with a team that has finished runners up in the Champions League twice in the last 3 years, have seriously challenged both powerhouses, Real Madrid and Barcleona in the league in 2 of those last 3 years (winning it once), have cleared it’s debts (so they no longer have to sell the Torres, Agueros, Costas) and their top earner is on more money than we pay our top earners.
And to add:- the weather is better and it’s closer to home for him.
“It’s like you didn’t read a single word.”
===
This made me laugh.
Though I will say that we DO have the money. Have you read Swiss Ramble recently? We’re insanely cash rich right now. We don’t have the pulling power of Barcelona, but we should be able to pay massive fees if we want, and players do choose clubs for financial reasons…
The same reason why Pogba is leaving 4 time consecutive serie A champions to join a club in Europa league.
oops, seems swish missed that.
@Bossielny no no no! :)) Man United has had a project after SAF and wont stop spending until theyre back on top again theyve spent more than 300 millions already and they wont hesitate to do more. of course theyve had an awful choice of managers but looking how tgeyre doing business you can tell they really want somethjng. the ambition and goal is what attracts these kind of superstars. and of course money is a necessarity which also shows ambition. do we want to be a top club that bad? top meaning winning real competetive trophies? as fans maybe,… Read more »
Well, that’s the answer then. Get rid of all the players and have each club put a pile of money into play. The one with the highest pile wins the league. There’s no point playing the games as the one with the highest pile would have the best players and win everything anyway.
[cough]Leicester[cough]
I’m looking forward to ManUre underachieving again, despite having pissed 300 million Glazerbucks ™ up the wall. Also the look on Maureen’s face will be priceless.
The money itself probably isn’t enough. And since he just signed a new contract, he isn’t coming anyway no matter what.
That said, I do think people underrate the pulling power of the club. We have the capacity to pay better than all but 6ish clubs in the world. We also have the best number 10 in the world. If you are a striker, surely that counts for something. Nobody is going to lay things on a plate for you better than Ozil.
Corrected that for you “We have the capacity to pay better than all but 6’ish competitive clubs plus the Chinese, Gulf Middle Eastern and the odd Russian/Central Asian ‘retirement fund’ clubs”.
In fact, if there were any possibility at all of Griezmann coming to Arsenal (which there is not), it would surely be because of Wenger and his reputation in France.
why would he leave the club whom in last three years had 2 CL finals a La Liga title and actually compete with the worlds best and go to club that can only celebrate losing 2-1 to a chill Barca and finishing above a pile of shit. from Simone to Wenger
I wouldn’t expect less from Wenger, he has lost his hunger, self motivation and drive to be better….. He is content with the bank balance and not success on the field……he is actually waiting for the last week, won’t the prices of the strikers we looking for increase as the selling club will know we are desperate…. Sometimes I wonder
Booooooooooooooooooooh!
It’s all very well saying the transfer window closes August 31st….its just that we may well be out of the title race by then!!
Grrr. Some shit statements every time. We are working hard everyday. Etc etc.
Can’t take much more of this its so depressing.
Start the season and let’s just get it over with.
And the same thing will be said next summer and the summer after. The buck has to stop somewhere.
I remember a time when each summer, we sold our best player.
For the last 3 years, we’ve added Ozil, arguably the best No.10 in the world. Sanchez, arguably one of the best wide attackers in the world. Cech, arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world and we’ve added Xhaka, a player who really has the potential to be one of the best holding players in the world.
And yet today, the fans are seething now more than I’ve ever known in the last 30 years.
Well said that man.
People are angry because the thing needed most for years now is a forward and they haven’t gotten one. When it’s this obvious and has been for years, the fans deserve to be angry at a club who has money to spend. Fairly simple.
Wenger has been saying the same thing for seasons back that if they see the right player and he will still this words next coming seasons. Since Gazidis came 10years ago things has been bad under him and he kept saying rubbish and fans are watching him. Well I just believe that we shouldn’t be expecting any big signing again this summer..thanks fans for wasting your money to watch arsenal match and enrich Gazidis and Co without giving you what you guys wish..
@Swish: I think that this discontent is largely down to frustration. Not only did we fail to win the league (a veritable open goal), all the fans know that we pay enormous ticket prices, are told that we’re flush with cash in one breath but then have our Chief Executive telling fans that we must shop in the bargain bin in the next.
To fans ears, this essentially sounds like lack of ambition at the board level, and it’s hard to understand why.
its like a poor man walking naked people give him money, now he has 5 grands and he buys socks and gloves for 20. day after day he earns more money people give him and still he never buys clothes saying prices are too high and a 200 shirt isnt worth it. he may buy another pair of versac gloves for 50 and a 90 for a hat. still our no more-poor man is naked. people were pissed off
The buck stops in silent Stan’s bank account.
Whoa buddy, doesn’t sound like supporting a football club is for you. Might be better off finding a new hobby..
STFU Gazidis! With love. -Arsene
Yeah,whatever heard it all before. Once the season starts we will hear crap like “We are active in the market, but we will only spend money on exceptional quality”.
Nothing will change until he and the board leave.
Downvote all you like doesn’t change the fact that we’re almost two weeks away from the start of the season and no Striker has been bought.
You mean you weren’t impressed by Akpom’s, Walcott’s, and Gnabry’s impersonation of a striker tonight?
I thought Gnabry looked sharp, especially considering that previous two years he’s endured.
god I hope we don’t want Turan…and Icardi either…I’m hoping for Higuain, but secretly I’d like us to sign Griezmann, he’d fit in perfectly!
awwww! I likey 🙂
He won’t actually. He needs to play with a target man. We have a playmaker behind the Top Striker.
With those hopes, I recommend playing FUT on FIFA. While we need a striker, we also NEED a CB. Per is stuck in the mud, Calum can’t head a ball, and we can’t rely on Gabriel for the entire season.
You want Higuain…. for £80mil? at 28? £80mil?! This is why I dislike our fans, too much talk sport.
Griezmann signed a contract in June… JUNE!
It’s not my money or yours so why do you care how much he costs?
Seriously couldn’t give a poop if they overpayed by 50 million it’s not like there’s any chance we’ll go bust.
Our fans have become as bad as Wenger watching the pennies. Who gives a shit about he clubs bank balance, ok if we were massively in debt then that’s fine, but we have masses of money.
Yes it is our money.
If you watch games at the stadium, on TV or buy any merchandise then it’s your money as well.
LoL
This is really alarming. Is Wenger really going to wait until August 31 to get his transfer business done?
The season will be in its 3rd week.
This should not happen this way. Why wait until the season is well underway to conclude your business? You have to settle new players into the squad. In addition to our players returning late from International duty. Crazy and stupid.
An Aug 31 signing without the opportunity for a good pre-season, without time to adapt.
Sounds familiar.
Even with a full pre-season (which few would get this summer due to the various national team tournaments), very few new signings are better than ‘OK’ in their 1st season at a new club. They usually start looking special in their 2nd seasons. Yes there are exceptions but quite a small proportion (less than 25%).
82% of all statistics are fabricated
I thought the saying was 90% of statistics are made up, which is what everyone says when the statistics don’t work the way they want them to,
Arsenal have gone into full rhetoric overdrive now. It is fucking upsetting and so utterly predictable. ?
Gooniegoogoo…wtf is gooniegoogoo!!?
Love the name! Delirious with the lack of a proper striker signing…we ALL know that will give us a real shout, can someone give me even ONE GOOD REASON why he hasn’t signed one in the last 5 years? Not sarcasm, or trying to be funny…one, good reason?
As a statement of intent, that’s all well and good. But if you’re out of wearable shoes and it’s only the stubborn understains that are holding your only pair of underpants together, you shouldn’t be biding your time until the last day of the sales.
He is already laying the groundwork for no more major buys with the “if we find the right player line”. I agree that we shouldn’t throw money around like some of the big clubs do on average players (and Wenger when he has spent big has gotten great quality in Sanchez, Ozil and Xhaka), but the problem is because of all the other clubs being willing to spend big for “average” it’s driving up the price for the type of players we need to buy and seemingly pricing Wenger out. I agree the fees quoted for Strikers are crazy, but… Read more »
Ultimate cock-tease-double-act!
For a PR man, Ivan Gazidis is painfully bad at PR.
no he is very good at it, but I’m afraid too many see distorting headlines about what he said and that is all they take from his interview. Isn’t it odd that no one is going on his “we are not happy with top 4, we want to win it”, does that not fit with blogs getting clicks, or with distorted headlines.
Gazinkes OUT! LOL
Ah geez….sorry about the El Oh El, Blogs. Stupid Twitter habits….
Just shut the fuck up Wenger. I’ve had it with this shit. Only top quality blah blah blah. Just spend the fucking money like every other competitive manager is doing. Chelsea, Manure, City have all spent money on filling gaps in the squad. Wenger is the only manager who buys Özil when we need Suarez.
Xhaka is the dearest signing made by any BPL club so far this summer, but don’t let a little fact like that get in the way of a stupid whinge.
“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.”
– Goebbels
A relevant quote if it was a lie. Which it wasn’t.
The lie spouted is there was no one available in the entire market – something we have been hearing for years. What he and Gazidis have just said is simply a way to prepare for that killer statement yet again.
Exactly. All these so-called fans whining, when clearly they haven’t seen Xhaka play. He’s the best player signed by any premier league club so far this summer.
I still believe Ivan on this one, unfortunately.
This Leopard will unfortunately never change his spots.
Zzzzzzzzz..35 million for Andy Carroll..50 for raheem sterling..what next..70 million for a cup of tea..all of it insanity
Unfortunately the game of football we all grew up with and loved is gone. It’s all about money now and balance sheets I’m afraid, will always support the gunners but each year the passion inside me is less
Really? I doubt Leicester fans are saying that, or Tottenham. For Arsenal it’s gone, because the club is run by a pack of self-serving wankers like Gazidis, Wenger and Kroenke who are stiffing the fans while filling their pockets.
Realistically Higuain will not happen. Griezmann (devastatingly) will not happen. Lacazette is doubtful. I am surprised there is not more interest in Lukaku. For me, I think Icardi is a realistic buy. Value for money? Questionable but it’s the inflation of the market and he provides a different option to Giroud and will most certainly improve considering he’s only 23. He’s not the dream, but I think he’s the closest thing to the type of gamble Wenger likes to take. I’d be very surprised if we didn’t sign a striker this term. Even when Wenger was put under pressure to… Read more »
Happy with Holding, but it does mean we won’t be getting that dominant CB to play alongside Kos like I hoped, which is a shame.
Just bring me Yarmolenko and I’m happy.
I like Yarmolenko, but come on, he’s good…but he’s not THAT good!
Koulibaly is better and a perfect fit for Arsenal. Strong and Speedy Defender.
Yes. Yarmolenko is the kind of player to go to Liverpool or west ham
Chambers first try on the left side of the CB pairing lead to two terrible headers, two shots in the box, 1 goal. Holding might be one for the future, but we do really need a proven CB (who can still run faster than blogs). Oh, and can we sell Theo just for sanity’s sake? Please??
What a shitshow. Get your stories straight.
Makes it much harder for le prof to snow us when Ivan already tild the truth.
you should actually look and listen to what Gazidis actually said, like the bit where he said we want to win the league.
Of course he wants to win the league but he wants to do it Leicester style.
But we are the fucking Arsenal. A massive club that has massive funds and charges it’s fans exorbitant prices. So he can fuck off and so can Wenger.
Talk the talk, walk the walk.
I want to believe, I really do.
It’s like when you ask a girl out and she said no, so you leave it a while, still admiring her from afar, then you ask her out again, but again she said no, in your heart you know you should stop believing but something inside keeps that little bit of hope alive, so you ask again and she said no, and in the end you just end up fucking hating her for hurting you.
That’s how I feel about our transfer activity, or lack of it.
Oh that’s sad 🙁
Kak depressing stuff
Anyone feel like their life is on ‘repeat’. Hhahahahahahhahaha
If we’re pissed off that Arsene hasn’t bought a striker, that’s fair enough. But please stop comparing Arsenal with Oil Billionaire FC and Absolutely Fucking Desperate Utd.
You could grow a couple of acres of corns on the stuff being pumped out of Highbury House right now.
what did Gazidis say that is not accurate,
The one thing we do know about the transfer market is that each year it gets more expensive. I would like to know how in any fucking way it is financially responsible to be letting our money stay in the bank where it is increasing at a lower rate of interest than the rising prices of footballers
That sounds a bit more encouraging …
Wenger spends like a coupon- clipping house wife. Probably he sees money as it it was ninety. Old people tend to stuck in the past.
I am all for spending big on a good player but not on somebody with such a big ego that would disrupt the harmony of the team or make the team focus only on him on d goal front. We need to build on d harmony Leicester had last season that eventually led them to the title even if it means no big name striker but one who will get the job done
Harmony, my ass
Yea lets copy Leicester model. Cheese and bread Lord help us.
Given how the story about signing Rob Holding ended earlier and AW’s statement, surely we are about to spend big on a signing? Maybe the onset of something approaching a summer in London has frazzled my brain but I’m really optimistic!
dortmund just signed goethe and schurrle in the last few days, just go out and get Auba!! make it happen Wenger!
*goetze
Says alot about our beloved club when the Chief Executive and the Wenger can’t even sing from the same hymnsheet…
Those comments on “Today we are on July 22 and the transfer market finishes on August 31”, are worrying,
Early signings are important on a teamwork and tactical familiarity basis, and faffing around and refusing to spend £10-20 mil more just to seal the deal is downright stupid.
I’d wish we just showed some cajones in the transfer market, Xhaka was a good start but only a start,
Lets hope we’re working hard on targets
You can tell Wenger did this one for the fans. He tried to soothe our fears, and I for one REALLY appreciate it.
He knows he has to spend big on a striker, he’s not stupid. This could be his last season if we battle … the fans are already restless enuf and we haven’t even started. C’mon the Ox. Could be anything. As could Wilshere.
I believe Griezmann has signed new deal with Atletico. That leaves Lazza, Pierre and RVP. Maybe Higuain … Arsene knows.
RvP… can first suck a donkey dick before he puts on a gunner shirt again.
Does a horse’s afterbirth count?
He can suck my donkey dick if he scores 20+ and spells Giroud/Sanchez/Mahrez.
I thought this was a fake set of quotes! XD
We desperately need a striker _ an upgrade on giroud as it is has been proved than giroud goes long spells without scoring.unfortunately akpom is not the answer. It is time to let Walcott go it maybe difficult as no club will pay the wages that he is on but unfortunately he does not have guile or skill in front of goal.Please arsene do not wait until the end of august as momentum will be lost, as we have a difficult opening to the season. Seàn
It’s true a lot does happen in the last week, the only problem is that the first game of the season is fast approaching and we don’t have a striker to play in it. Giroud is on a rest period, so who do we play against Liverpool? Afobe? Sanogo? Are we going to try the Walcott experiment again? All this supposed “activity” isn’t going to mean much after we get our arses handed to us in the first game because we didn’t have an established striker leading the line. The fan base will be furious.
Are you suggesting we buy Afobe back?
Will remain a fan and my top team in EPL but I am not expecting Wenger to spend anymore. This season a top 4 finish will be more difficult and it will be a pity for the Manager career to end on such a note. There is no ruthlessness and mental strength in the current team.
I like the positivity here tonight. Feels like le-grove.
Ah, where happiness goes to die.
The happiness dies on Arseblog, where you spout the same old shit every season yet think something different’s going to happen.
Well said sir. Let’s hope this blog don’t morph with le cunts.
We’ve been active, making what is clearly to me the best signing of the league this far (Xhaka), and lots of time for more signings. Why the hell is anyone complaining? Just relax, enjoy the pre-season and get excited, the EPL is almost back! Best time of the year.
Come on Wenger! You got to fireboard those motherjammers!
Here in our country, we fans show our displeasures and unity by….. empty stadium. We are ONE UNITED.
Fans are the one who “create” a football club. Without fans, there will no club. That’s where money is generated to run the club, buying players, etc…. Why are Arsenal fans still willing to pay the most expensive tickets in England and yet made so much noises of “Wenger out” and yet still attending matches week in and week out? Beat me.
To buy a player this early in the window, especially a very good player, you have to overpay for him. Think about it from the selling clubs perspective: with the window lasting into the season why not hang on to the player, have him help you in a few games, then sell him on the last day? Plus there is more chance that another team will come in for him during that time. Does anyone think the Foxes will sell us Mahrez prior to our game with them?
Kronke has never had a winning team, save the first year he inherited the hockey team.
He cares not a jot about winning and we are stuck with him
It doesn’t make sense for Gazidis to come out and say that. Because it is obvious we are looking. So either it’s a ploy to get another club to drop their price and accept the bid we have lodged or Wenger doesn’t have control of transfers but he does, so the budget is actually down to Gazidis
Its getting boring now.
Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Tottenham is a pile-up…
Haha!
A broken pencil
Yeah I’ll believe it when I see it Arsene. (we won’t see it)