Arsene Wenger says he wants to extend the contracts of Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck, but has once again warned that players may well be more inclined to let their contracts run out than sign extensions.
It has been the case with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to varying degrees, but it’s unclear as yet whether this is a football wide phenomenon or one specific to Arsenal.
Speaking about Welbeck and Ramsey, Wenger said, “It is something we want to address.
“Both of them are in a good moment for us. But with the level of transfers and the amounts that players expect on their contracts, you will have more and more players going into the final year of their contracts.
“You will be in a position where you either extend for money you cannot afford or you go into the final year of their contract.
“This season, there were 107 players in the Premier League who got into the final year of their contract and you will see that more.
“The clubs want too much money for normal players.”
Wenger is holding out some hope that something can be done about the rapidly inflating transfer market, suggesting political involvement may be be required.
“Something will happen,” he said. “For the first time, on the political front, the German prime minister has come out and, also, the president of Uefa has come out.
“I think, politically, something will happen in the next 12 months to regulate and limit the transfer amounts. You have to go one of two ways – regulate it properly or leave it completely open.
“The regulation has to be stricter and clearer, or open the market completely and you can do what you want provided you can guarantee you have the money to pay.
“At the moment, we are a bit in between and that does not work.”
Interesting. I would like both these characters to actually step up to the level that madrid or barca come hunting for them. Now, that would mean atleast it was worth running down their contracts.
Arsene’s record of predicting where the games heading isn’t very good.
In fact I’d say his self righteous attitude has been holding us back.
Criticises United for Pogba, a deal in which they pulled off.
And then bids €100mill for Lemar after refusing to pay €60mill just a month earlier, whilst also trying to sell a player he explicitly said he would sell, and then didn’t have the time to pull it off because he’d made his mind up too late.
I love Arsene, but he desperately needs help in certain areas.
yes he desperately needs help . but what is more puzzling is that he is not even accepting that fact. our transfer strategy was poor for years but still he publicly refused the need for a director of football. those kind of factors is affecting the performance of the team too and he cant see that
And in all that the board had no hand in influencing that. Yes, Arsene is his own boss, does whatever the hell he likes. FFS the man has his failings but you can’t come on here and pretend you don’t know even Mou will have transfer issues working for Silent Stan
By all accounts it’s Wenger refusing the help, rather than it not being offered. As long as Wenger is in charge, he wants to run the entire show. We will modernize when he leaves, but Wenger won’t allow it to happen while he’s still here. As long as Stan wants Wenger as manager, that’s what Arsenal is going to have to live with.
I think arsene is pretty spot on, his own failings in the market aside. The prices and the players attached are insane. Pogbas great but I still don’t see him the game breaking open dominant player that price tag warrants. And 200000000 for naymar? Jeez! 150-200 mill for teenagers? Holy schmoly!
This is where we’re at.
I think Arsene is wrong.
They think Google, Amazon or Facebook will come in for the worldwide PL rights.
The money in the game is going nowhere, and as FFP has shown it’s not really enforceable.
Under EU law restriction of trade is illegal.
And even if you can get around that by implementing wage caps?
The amount of money in the game won’t change, all it will mean is that instead of players taking money out of the game the owners will start helping themselves to any surplus.
You are right and wrong. A few clubs can afford the player fees and wages. But the rest are all running towards bankruptcy, just trying to compete. So, many PL regulars like Bolton, Birmingham, Blackburn, Wigan, Leeds, even Aston Villa are all gone. No knowns when or even if they will ever return to PL.
The problem with that Pogba argument is that you think there is an “accepted” or “obvious” amount that a player is actually worth. Which does not make sense. A player’s worth is in relation to his importance to the team and the club, his contractual situation, the club’s financial health and what an alternative would cost. United have still been making record profits despite the pogba extravagance and not being in the champions league which means it was not too high a price to pay. And they have improved with him. The reason players are worth so much is because… Read more »
Wenger predicted rich owners would not translate into success on the field. It did big time. Maybe he saw Kroenke coming.
I’m pretty certain that he said wealthy owners alone would not make a successful team, which everyone else in football agrees with and has been proven right. There are lots of teams in top level football with wealthy owners that aren’t successful (yet?). How long did it take $iteh to win it’s first PL title? Despite having wealthy Thai owners, it didn’t happen until some time into the Arab oil moneys ownership. It’s not just about buying the most expensive players, it’s about buying the right players (who are usually expensive) and management team, which can take time to get… Read more »
Whether he’s right or wrong I don’t particularly care. I just wish he’d focus on the team instead of philosophising on the future of the game.
Why do I always see these types of comments on these types of articles? Do you think Wenger calls up journalists and says “Never mind this managing lark, I’d rather talk about the future of football”. That’s not how journalism tends to work, he’s just answering questions that he has been asked, not shirking his duties as manager.
Ok so who’s the mystery journalist that interviewed him about this?
Because it appears to me it’s just pr guff released on the Arsenal website.
i too dont care about all these stuff . if arsene want to talk about this then by all means he should . but the thing is the team is in disarray, one of the worst starts i’ve seen at arsenal , the best ewplayers are hell bent on leaving the club , and even though we have the money and we are spending it we didint even finish top four last season and doesn look like we will this season too . i’d rather him talk about how to solve all that stuff than all this philosophical shit .… Read more »
I disagree that “we are spending it”.
Chelsea net spend: 90m
Man City net spend: 138m
Man U net spend: 136m
Arsenal net spend: -18m (i.e. profit!)
City, Utd and Chelsea in positions 1,2,3.
Arsenal in 12th position.
You get what you pay for
I wouldnt neccessarily mind them if they were just opinion pieces but the truth is he bases his decisions for the club based on these unlikely hypotheses instead of basing his running on the facts on adapting to changing reality. I don’t see Daniel Levy or Poch hypothesising about this rubbish. Instead they have managed to renew contract of their star players for a lot less money than we pay our average players. And have managed to sell and buy cleverly in spite of the crazy market. As much as I hate to say it he has a lot to… Read more »
first it was the russian oligarch, then american investors, now oil rich states. at some point you need to accept the reality and roll with it.
how long can you blame the circumstances for your own shortcomings / failings?
Also how many of the 107 players are of the calibre of sanchez,ozil and Jack?
The club have messed up and are trying to polish a turd.
Did you just equate Jack with Sanchez and Ozil?
A fit Jack is one of the best English players in the league. Keeping him fit is another question.
@Voldemort: Jack is solid enough (though I disagree that he’s now in the top 10 of English EPL players even when healthy.) However, Jack could be fully fit and play with some regularity all season, and I still only expect him to draw interest from mid-table teams at best with moderate fees being proposed. Point being, letting his contract run down makes some sense.
He’s just talking shit for the sake of it. Just extend their contract you idiot! We had Ox leave becaue he had a year left, we have Ozil Sanchez and wilshere who all have a year left and could leave on a free at the end of the season, and now Welbeck and Ramsey will have a year left at the end of this season. Is he really that fucking stupid to not see problem here? Does he really think this is the new trend and that it’s normal? I keep trying to put faith in this man but he… Read more »
Actually Arsene didn’t criticise Man U for Pogba. That was just deliberately misreported by the press in bullshit headlines.
Arsene said Pogba’s fee was crazy IF you can’t afford it, but he said if you can afford it then you can justify it.
The press just reported that as Arsene saying the fee was “crazy”. In truth, he was saying Man U can afford it. Such shit stirrers
Do any other teams have so many players they *want* to keep, that are unwilling to sign new contracts?
ox leaving arsenal showed us where exactly this club reached . i mean a player who was playing reasonably well took a paycut to go to a club which is arguably smaller than us to play under another manager . there is something wrong there on so many levels. i think more and more players would leave this club until there is some kind of change , and wenger might know this . thats why he is hinting that more players would go to final years of their contract not because club does not want them . but more and… Read more »
Ox leaving was more down to him believing he can be a starting CM in a top 6 team which he never will be, remember he turned down Chelsea too.
I think the main reason players don’t want to commit to Arsenal atm is that’s arsenal doesn’t have a long term plan. What happens after Wenger’s two years? Nobody knows and I understand that the players want to know the plan for the coming 3-4 years they are signing for.
The issue with that Diarra is at every other major European & English club players know that they will outlast the manager and they still come. The issue with Arsenal at this point is we don’t look like we have a real plan to compete for the title under Wenger and he holds way too much power so once he leaves its a mess. If players thought that we could genuinely compete over the next 2 years I think they would sign up.
Or they want a shot at a big title. That’s what most top class players want, and recent history shows that Wenger can’t provide that.
What paycut? You mean Ox is playing for under 65K a week? lol I’m impressed that he did that.
Yes and rejecting 180k offered by arsenal . That is a huge sum even for a footballer
Yes, in the article 107 players were in that position. People on here think it is oh so simple, it really ain’t !!!
Yes, but how many of those 107 players are crucial first team starters like Sanchez, Ozil, RVP and Nasri were? Say what you want, but you can add Ox to that list of starters since the change to 343. Interestingly, I’ve read that Schalke lost Matip on a free last summer; Kolasinac, Choupo-moting and Huntelaar on frees this summer; and it looks like Goretzka will leave on a free next summer. This says one of two things: -either Wenger is right and more and more top-class players are running down their contracts (i.e Lewandowski). -or we’re becoming a ‘top six’… Read more »
Can’t see that they do
Arsene speaks like what happens at our club is the norm. “You have to expect more and more players..” This is his subliminal speak for, we’re not negotiating contracts at the moment so we’ll revisit this when the transfer windows opens..as per normal aka nothing has changed. Trust Arsene to always speak with a grain of nonsense
Selling Ox for 40 million was great business. The worrying issue is we actually offered him 180 grand a week. That is mental. Did the same with Theo and now we have him on big money and it’s clear to most won’t start many games as he is not technically good enough if you want to seriously challenge for league. Welbeck is not on huge money and a small rise for now with a review would seem wise. Ramsey is very much in Ox and Theo department. Decent player but just not technically or bright enough me thinks if we… Read more »
Welbeck is on over 100k. If he could stay fit and learn to finish, he might even be worth that money. But a raise??
Welbeck according to all reports and figures released is on 70 grand a week. Where did you get over 100 grand and it’s speaks volumes that people are agreeing with you
Blogs reported that his salary was just above 100k when he was signed, and commented that this was the norm nowadays
What blogs? Everywhere you read from salaries its been 70K from I’ve seen.
Everyone here does this alot. They report higher salaries for players when they want to say something negative about Arsenal to create a narrative that fits their comment.
Blogs = arseblog
Welbz will give Arsenal a hometown discount because of his injury record. Extending him on the same money is fair.
Rambo should really sign up too. Can’t see any manager being as loyal to him than Wenger.
You really had it going then ruined it all when you dropped the Ramsey comment…
Wow didn’t know there were this many Ramsey haters…
If we let Ramsey walk this club really is a farce. Not sure what our ambition is if that happens
Oh silly me, he is not the english jesus – jack wilshere – greatest footballer in the world
I’m not sure there’s a problem with Ramsey other than his hamstrings?
The problem is the manager who rarely installs any discipline in his players.
If we keep Rambo fit?
I think he’ll have a great season.
The problem has been it takes him a few games to get going, he finds form, we overplay him and he gets injured again.
Again this comes down the manager managing his players fitness
Even in a school it’s hard for the principal or teacher to instill discipline in the students. Just the other day Mou complained his players were being flamboyant on the ball and over elaborate, that tells you they went off the rails with his plan. These things happen even at other clubs it’s not a Wenger thing. Most times players get on the pitch, feel good and get carried away. Sanchez isn’t as disciplined on the ball and I’d argue off it as well. Ramsey is constantly auditioning for the number 10 role he plays in the Welsh team. We… Read more »
I’m watching the Chelsea game and time and again, Kante is high up the pitch. Conte is yelling each time for him to drop back. One problem Wenger has is he doesn’t scream but not all managers scream.
Wasn’t it confirmed that it was his agent who asked for 180k/week and not an Arsenal offer?
what are you on about, it sounds like you are not bright either, ramseys our best player, wake up….
here is the thing with Theo, there is a return for the money he makes, he scores!
There is no legit source we offered 180K. That was probably the agent trying to negotiate a new contract with whatever club. Don’t believe everything you read.
“You will be in a position where you either extend for money you cannot afford or you go into the final year of their contract.” Or you know, maybe the player just chooses to go somewhere where success is more likely. Been a fan for 20 years with Wenger the only manager I’ve ever known and very thankful for the va va voom football at times, but either he doesn’t realise he is part of the problem or he does and rightly doesn’t publicly admit it. We’ve got Sanchez, Bellerin and Ozil who want to leave, two of which have… Read more »
Please tell us how you know Bellerin and Mustafi want to leave.
Obviously any newspaper gossip doesn’t count!
http://news.arseblog.com/2017/09/revealed-arsenals-crazy-summer-business-and-how-it-all-went-down/
There you go
OK, so it’s just gossip…
Ruthlessness is needed. He’s too sentimental and kind to deal with contracts. Anyone getting to the last 2 years of their contract that we’re intending to keep, either extend it and if they won’t then sell and replace as quick as possible.
What’s so complicated about that? Allowing players to run down their contract just should not be an option. To me, it shouts ‘apathy’ on the club’s part and ‘too comfortable’ on the player’s part.
Yeah, there would have been A LOT of support for AFC and Wenger if he had sold Sanchez, Özil, Ox, and Wilshere at the start of last season.
well, ozil and alex are off in January, and the future is not to good for jack
I should think so to, after a disastrous game against Doncaster, when Chelsea won 5-1, and everton won 3-0, and man utd won 4-1, and man city won 2-1 away, and we just scrapped a 1-0 win, it just shows the the class between the big boys and us, plus alex and ozil going in January, and Wilshire future uncertain, its not looking good for us
You base your judgement on one matchweek in the league cup when we play our B team with three u23 players out of position? And still win the match. When did the amount of goals in the joke cup become the measuring stick?
so did Chelsea, so did man utd so did everton so did man city, but they still won easy it just shows that our squad is not good enough, the first team is ok, but if we get injuries then I think we have had it
You clearly don’t know who played for Chavski or ManU…
Check their line ups and there’s only 1 name on the Chavski sheet that isn’t a regular 1st team starter, and the ManU team sheet looks pretty 1st team to me.
thats because they all have good squads…
They certainly do. But they still played a predominantly 1st choice team.
No comparison with the team we fielded in the TinPot Cup game…
Remember we got Sead Kolasinac on a free this way and that hasn’t turned out too badly for us.
If more players are willing to run down their contracts then perhaps we can exploit it to our advantage. After all we pay far better than most clubs already and should have a healthy amount to spend in the next two windows thanks to our recent transfer surplus.
Errr we don’t have any money, and who would, would want to play for us
Kolasinac came to us after we missed out on the CL, and while Conte was working hard to bring him to Chelsea. Evidently people want to play for us.
And no money? You remember we bid an EPL record amount of money for Lemar on deadline day, right? And that Wenger has confirmed we’ll be back in for him in January?
that’s because wenger thought he was going to sell alex to man city, and the money from the ox, as we never sold alex, that’s why we never got lemar and I don’t he wanted to come to us anyway
What fucking world do you live in? We may not have the riches of a Manchester or Chelsea, but we have money to spend (see Swiss Rambler for regular details). As for “who would want to play for us” … Hell, how the fuck do I know? I haven’t asked them all. But I bow to your greater insight given that you seem to have an ‘inside handle’ on this. What pisses me off about people like you is that you write in exactly the same way as someone who hates our club might. There are a handful of people… Read more »
Wenger said Alexis and Özil’s contract situation was a “good thing”, as if players of their ability are growing on trees. But he wants to be proactive with Ramsey and Welbs? When will this man leave?
He did say it with his tonge firmly in his cheek. Search it out on YouTube and you’ll understand that it wasn’t a serious comment.
was it……
yes…
I don’t see Real Madrid having issues resigning Benzema. If we start really competing for titles, and avoid 5-0 thrashing against other top teams, players will be more inclined on signing to a new contract.
So far we’ve avoided any 5-0 thrashings against other top teams (although we have had a few thrashings…).
What’s an injured Benzema got to do with anything?
Again with the whinning and commentating…
Come on man! Just adapt already instead of hanging on for regulations that we’ll never happen.
Is Wenger waiting for the football bubble to burst so we can become competitive again? Because I think the football bubble will burst, but it will outlive him, so if he wants success in this era…
As usual, I’m pretty sure this is an Arsenal problem. Doesn’t exactly happen much to the scum down the road does it?
Sweet deregulated serfdom. We can all agree that this level of vulgar inequality, unaffordable property prices, stagnating wages, ‘streamlined’ (read: less and underfunded) social and public provisions, privatized education, and a lack of political power to address the interests of big business to stop runaway climate change and rampant lobbying and control of our political sphere by money is well worth it for the quality football we get to watch, where these legends of the game such as Kyle Walker get the remunerations they deserve is a free, open and fair market while teachers, firemen, policemen, social workers, researchers, and… Read more »
If only we lived in a socialist state such as China, we wouldn’t have to worry about obscene salaries and transfer fees for footballers. Oh…
It’s funny how you think this is either or. I don’t remotely advocate it but for what it’s worth, China is not socialist anymore. Privatize your kids education, then. If not we will all be north Koreans! Im quite entitled about being sick of this massive inequality. That doesn’t make me a recruit of a Stalinist party. Id say it makes me quite fair minded. These players can do what they want. I love the Arsenal but I do get tired of reading about contracts and transfers. They get paid more in a week then most of us make in… Read more »
Makes so much sense compared to the nonsense bleated out by the normal pundits and fools who don’t understand market dynamics. The contracts of many players (not just at arsenal) are affected by the hyper-inflated prices in the market. To much extent, this is out of control of the club. You can offer what you would like to pay but the players (AND agents) can still insist to hold out till end of contract. I mentioned we should have forced pen to paper on the Ox last summer when Gnabry was agitating for a move but there could also be… Read more »
Give Welbeck a 20 year contract for finally scoring some goals
Give Welbeck a 20 year contract for shoulder some quality goals.
In between he says. And it doesn’t suit us he says. What Wenger really means is it Doesn’t suit Stan Kreonke after he took out Billion dollar loan to build a new stadium in America. And yes your right we have to pay for the Loan for him. When will it stop. Watch the Space no transfer players in January but Ozil, Sanchez, possibly Wiltshire and maybe Iwobi out.
Where did you read that he’s taking money from the club (except a salary and a questionable 3m ‘services’ charge)?
Because that would be a serious amount of money he’d need from us to service a loan that big.
I doubt this is a new trend, but rather speaks to the poor culture that Wenger has fostered of late, one where indeed players look less likely to stay on past their contract.