Arsene Wenger has hinted that Arsenal are interested in West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans but admits he’ll lose a bidding war with Manchester City should Pep Guardiola’s rumoured interest be true.
Both City and the Gunners have had previous approaches for the Northern Ireland international rebuffed in the last couple of years, however, with Alan Pardew needing funds to reshape his relegation-threatened squad it now sounds like the Baggies could be tempted to sell for around £25 million.
“I’ve nothing to say,” was Wenger’s response when asked about a bid for Evans.
“All that would only be philosophical to talk about it. As long as we don’t have any agreement with anybody, I believe the best is not to talk.”
On whether City’s potential interest could prove the undoing of any potential deal, the boss added: “Look, to see off any interest of any other club, yes. I don’t know if Man City is in for anybody. I don’t know what their policy is.
“Financially, if the decision comes to finances with Manchester City, we know we will be second best. That is well known.”
There have been suggestions that Mathieu Debuchy could be used as a carrot to lure the Baggies into selling Evans to Arsenal. Alas, it’s a carrot that hasn’t played much football and currently costs a lot to maintain on a weekly basis. So not a great carrot really.
If he is who we want, then let’s get it tied up sooner rather than later – our defence needs all the help it can get at the moment. I hope Sven has a few more players up his sleeve though.
Arsenal FC can’t compete with Manchester City for the signing of Jonny Evans.
What a time to be alive.
Can’t or won’t? I’d hazard a guess at the latter.
He clearly states if its just financial its not possible, and thats true because they can ALWAYS throw more at him than we realistically can or would want to. FACT. Now its obvious Wenger put that out there because it is saying ”if its about football aka is the guy going to play for city regularly over how much he will play for Arsenal” then its obvious he would choose us. Simple
Sure, but Wenger’s argument is a little silly. Surely both clubs could afford to get Evans, it’s a matter of valuation. I don’t think either club is planning to go broke on him.
I don’t think Wenger’s argument is silly at all. The question of “valuation” is not independent of how much money you have. The same house that seems ridiculously expensive and overpriced to me is well within the “valuation” of the royal family of Abu Dhabi. No matter what we would be willing to pay for a player, if both clubs really want him, Man City can always top our offer, no matter how generous it is.
There’s no way we could afford Hazard. Even if we could he’d choose Real over us.
Are you suggesting the former isn’t the case?
jack jack jack, it’s a tired yarn being spun too many times, we can’t afford to do this, we can’t afford to do that. Just like we can’t afford to keep our players. All the other top sides in the world have just officially packed up, “what the point anymore, we give up”. Arsene is the man waiting at the top of the mountain ready to yell I told you so as the rest of the football world falls into the impending doom of bankruptcy. Truth is though it’s not going to happen. I don’t want Jonny Evans I think… Read more »
Maybe listen to what Wenger said instead of believing garbage you’ve read!
I believe I HEARD him say at the start of the season that we can’t compete with united and city…….
So – again – you’re suggesting that we CAN compete with City financially and in the transfer market?
Why do we all of a sudden rate Jonny Evans so high anyway? Let him go to City. Maybe we can sign Gabriel back or some other good younger defender.
This isn’t a Sven signing. This has Wenger written all over it
Remember Silvestre? Ugh.
Sadly, yes.
Defference is, nobody else with more money wanted him.
I like the idea of luring evanw with Debuchey. That could work.
Gallas?
To be fair, Sven wasn’t brought in to scout people we’ve all heard of. Even if we bought a massive star I wouldn’t have thought Sven should get involved.
Whatever
“Financially, if the decision comes to finances with Manchester City, we know we will be second best. That is well known.”
Is that really the case? Would City pay Coquelin £100,000 a week or Walcott £140,000?
Not really the point
It totally is the point, if you significantly overpay your squad players how do you expect to compete with the likes of City?
Delphi is on 90k a week so….
And he’s made 14 league starts for a team 23 points ahead of us…..
after 22 matches….
and Coquelin and Walcott have made 1 between them.
“Significantly overpay”?
What do you think would represent reasonable wages for those two? Especially keeping in mind the citcumstances that obtained when walcott last resigned. I mean, he’ll go to southampton or whoever, point to last year, and say “i scored 19 goals in half a season. Pay me.” What do you think that will earn him?
I wouldn’t pay them anything as i would have sold them. Coquelin whilst good for a couple of months when he got into the team never looked like a long term solution but proved the concept that we needed a defensive midfielder. I would have tried to sell him that summer whilst his stock was high and brought in better. The same goes for Walcott, there was a point 5 or 6 years ago when it was clear he wasn’t going to be good enough for us but had shown enough promise where we could have looked like reluctant sellers… Read more »
Totally agree with John C.
probably, if they had come from abroad and their last seasons stats.
are they worth that a week? probably not.
They wouldn’t consider either of those two let alone pay them those wages.
Delf, Lescott. Fernando?
I don’t know who Delf is but Lescott and Fernando were important first team players that helped City win the league so no comparison can be made. Lescott won it twice and was a good player for them.
How does Chelsea compare to City’s finances. Can your Blues compete?
I think ours and Chelsea’s wages are about the same but they have a smaller squad of higher quality. Where they have Hazard, Pedro and Willian(and now Barkley) fighting in rotation for 2 spots behind the striker we have Ozil and Sanchez as guaranteed starters with dross like Welbeck, Walcott and Iwobi as clear second choices. Where they have Kante, Fabregas, Drinkwater and Bakayoko we have Xhaka, Ramsey, Coquelin, Wilshere, El Neny and Cazorla. A smaller number but of a higher quality and they probably pay the same amount in wages on those 4 as we do on our 6.… Read more »
I believe that Coq’s high wage is the main reason for his sales. Stupid management.
Chelsea have literally two dozen players out on loan, sometimes for years. Not just kids, but full internationals (Courtois was at Atletico forever; Lukaku, etc).
So what? We have Jenkinson, Campbell, and Asano who are all full internationals out on loan or do they not count? What about Lucas Perez, he’s 29 years old?
They just have a much better transfer policy than us and use the loan system to their advantage. The only difference i see it that their players out on loan retain or increase their value if they don’t make their first team whilst ours don’t and are often loaned out because no one will sign them permanently because their wages are too high.
Right, we had Jenks out on loan, and they had Courtois, generally considered one of the half-dozen best keepers in the world.
As I’ve said before about your posts–you are so enraged at Wenger that your judgment about any issue is always determined by your animosity towards him.
Ahaha 100k per week for player who costs only 10m.
We need total unwengering all our club!!!
They pay Delph about £100k a week, is he a level above the two you mentioned? Also, I’d guess that Coq’s on about half that.
A current look at the league table would answer that question for you
Yeah, top of the table, that proves that Delph is better than anyone in our squad. Better than Pogba too. Can’t argue with logic like that.
It proves they pay £90-100k a week to a player that contributes to their team and we pay £100k and £140k a week to players that don’t.
The club has money, it just isn’t spending it right.
Reports are Coquelin is on under 50k. Are City looking at signing a straw man this January?
Which reports?
I’m using my source as todays Arseblog which said £100,000. I’m happy if you can provide a link that says he’s on £50k but considering the likes of Bendtner, Diaby and Denilson were on around £50-55k a week 4 or 5 years ago, a 100 grand a week would seem about right.
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/
Highest I’ve seen is 75k before today but most put him between 45 and 55k. Any link to the 100k figure?
Apologies for the tone, there’s no need for snarkiness.
No link just todays Arseblog, no idea where he gets that figure from but it’s sounds about right to me.
Where do totalsportek get their figures from?
I’ve added them all up and our wage bill using their figures comes to £104.5m a year but they say our wage bill is £200m. Obviously the wage bill includes all staff but i would guess that players account for probably three quarters of the total bill which puts their figures well out.
Clearly wages clerk at Arsenal for past 10 years!
Plenty of articles from when he signed his contract last year,
all of which state over 100k,
try this thing called google
All I can find from last Jan in terms of wages is reference to Giroud going down to 90k, which makes the Coq on 100 make even less sense.
Actually think he’d be a really good signing. He’s 30 yeah, but he seems to have a lot left in the tank… with top flight defenders age doesn’t seem to be the main barometer that signals their decline as opposed to how many games they’ve played at the top. Thing about Mert and Kos is they’ve been consistently first choice for donkeys years and that’s catching up to them. Evans was never a 50 game a season man at Utd so still should have 3-4 good years and that’s good value for that money. Obviously there will be a lot… Read more »
He’s alright in a low block defense at West Brom. Imagine him in our high line without any midfield protection…
Not saying he’s a bad defender but a lot more were annoyed when they sold us welbeck.
Lots and lots of Arsenal fans went mental when Lansbury twitted that he was on his way out.
@Artro
‘A really good signing.’
I think that’s a bit of a stretch.
Jonny Evans is a good signing for West Brom, not for Arsenal.
I get that we obviously need a defender, and badly, but the fact we are in this position is beyond farcical. We literally sold a centre half who was as good as Jonny Evans, in the form of Gabriel. Now we are having to rectify that huge blunder by actually trying to buy, Jonny Evans.
This. At almost £15 million more no less! Penny-wise and pound foolish management.
I’m not saying Evans is the answer but he is definitely a better player than Gabriel.
what if Gabi didn’t want to play for Arsenal or didnt want to sit on the bench?
What if he read the comments of so called supporters calling him shit every week?
Wenger go fuck yourself. Just leave arsenal. Im tired of you
I think the majority of us fans would prefer Wenger to leave, but only a very small percentage of fans would say ‘Wenger go fuck yourself’.
I fucking hate those fans.
I think you don’t know what majority means
Our sugar daddy is interested in pocketing more money than investing thats the problem.
Also with this man in charge we wont be competing with most of the clubs ON and OFF the field.
He is very much a salt daddy.
Thought ManUre wanted him back, in a bad way?
What did they sell him for, £6M? hahahahaha.
You could also just as easily say “ if the decision comes to style & quality of football with Manchester City, we know we will be second best. That is well known.”
According to many reports, City’s big advantage (assuming both City and we really do want him) is that his family remains in the Manchester area.
Nothing to do with being 15 points clear at the top of the league then?
Do you have a family? Does it matter to you if you have children in school and they are happy where they are? Do you actually find it hard to believe that a player in Evans’ position, ending his career and having won many trophies with Man United, would consider his family situation as more important than the league table?
Didn’t they say we have the finances to compete with the top clubs? Or was that just another scapegoat bullshit excuse?
In other words Wenger is also pointing to the similarity to how we can’t compete with City in the League. You have to speculate to accumulate, spend to win. Chelsea, Man City , Man Utd have shown that happens. Really pathetic the way Arsenal has turned out.
good, don’t want him
Mixed feelings, on one hand side im delighted that we may not sign the brand new silvestre on the other its depressing to hear that we cannot compete with city for somone who would be sitting on their bench and be a 1st choice for us. This Club has really fallen.
You clearly didn’t hear it, cos that’s not what he said, but it’s what you’ve read!
Let us pray Johnny Evans beats Salomon Kalou in the Arsenal transfer window folklore.
I just can’t imagine any gooner going out to buy a Johnny Evans jersey.
I can’t imagine anyone over the age of 18 buying a jersey of any kind. I guess it takes all sorts………
Great news – no way do we want a mediocre CH like Evans anyway.
And just think.
In two years he will be passed his best.
Not really a sound investment when you think of it logically…
Well….. maybe, just maybe Arsenal Football Club should be employing a manager who IS prepared to compete with Manchester City – and everyone else – both on the pitch and off it. And before anyone starts wailing about our comparative ‘lowly’ finances, 1. Arsenal are sitting on a small fortune and 2. money isn’t the sole criteria for players joining and leaving clubs. Wenger is now conveniently blaming City’s money for the low morale at Arsenal that his poor management has created. The sooner we have a new manager, the better.
Absolutely correct! Liverpool are a financially weaker club than us. They recognised that their defence was terrible, and “outcompeted” Man City to get Van Dijk.
And sold their best player, Coutinho to pay for it. (Maybe Salah this year, but in the long run, Courtinho is the greater talent.)
Liverpool’s results are better this season without Coutinho than with. So it’s a good sale for them as it gives them a massive windfall to strengthen their squad, that’s what self confident clubs do.
A Different George: Liverpool knew one of their top players was leaving. They made sure a) they got a huge fee for him & b) spent significantly before the transfer was completed to address a huge weakness on their squad.
Are you somehow seeing this as them not handling their business better than arsenal?
Ozil & Alexis situations passed you by I take it…
I think on the whole, Liverpool’s transfer policy over the last decade has been a disaster; I think Liverpool supporters agree. They lost Suarez, their best player since Dalgleish or Keegan, and spent the money on crap. They lost Sterling in a drawn-out comedy. They paid a zillion pounds for Van Dijk precisely because they had failed (like Arsenal) to do anything about their defensive frailties in the past two years. Crap goalkeeping. Salah, so far has been a brilliant buy, as was Firmino, maybe Mane. So good on pure attackers, nothing else. (Sounds very much like us to me.)
How embarrassing? Do you believe everything you read?
Well, he is an experienced good defender, and we have been linked with him for a while now, but personally……he doesn’t exactly get me jumping around for joy. conversely, Coquelin in my opinion is not as bad as some hold him out to be, he is good at what he does…. a pure destroyer and all he needs to flourish is a creative partner in midfield like Santi, which we ain’t got right now so i have no problem selling him to save dead wages. Viera he is not, to get the best out him, get him just winning the… Read more »
Maybe 24 carrots would work..
Wenger makes it sound like Evans’ only consideration in deciding between Arsenal and City is monitary but that’s not true. Looking at the two clubs , City is on the rise whiles Arsenal is retrogressing and any player who is made to choose between the two clubs will go for city even if Arsenal offer more money than city. The only thing that will make Evans sign for Arsenal will be that he sees an opportunity to play regularly at Arsenal than at City.
Please no….. Evans is not an upgrade please let hi, go to city….
In all fairness… if you were Jonny Evans? Would you choose to move to City? Or Arsenal? Even if they offered you slightly less money?
You’d seriously have to question his ambition and sanity to choose Arsenal over City right now
I don’t particularly rate Evans and am not fussed if he comes or doesn’t come but what’s fucking infuriates me is when I hear the “we can’t compete with Man City ” horseshit.
Ushmanov is the richest football billionaire in the world and Kroenke is the third richest so this makes no sense at all.
Sort it out you pair of cunts !
Where and when did you hear that comment? Or did you read it?
City are buying Sanchez for the bench but they badly need Johnny Evans. Yeah ok.
If there’s any real city interest, City are just meddling to force an outcome with Sanchez.
I don’t believe City are at all interested in Evans, this smells more like City feigning interest so when they bid for Sanchez they can say, “how about £25m for Sanchez and we drop our interest in Evans?”.
But the carrot can put in a shift at centre half, if needed!
We dont need a Sven Mislintat to discover Johnny Evans.
Poor choice if it is.
Band aid.
Better let City have him but we do need a defender.
Some people were mentioning Stephan De Vrij 6 month left on contract at Lazio. Don’t know how good he is. In any case I feel our defensive woes are more than just an issue of players.
Our system and enforcement in discipline is poor.
Too many times, midfield is separated from defense and unaware of runners coming into the box.
These issues will persist regardless of who we buy.
I feel also maybe some of these purported rumours that we are in for Evans or Lemar could be smoke screen to force the hand of City and Liverpool to commit respectively to those players. Hopefully Wenger has better targets and he wants these clubs to spend and be out of the way before he reveals his true intentions. But it could also be that there is a less coherent plan and we may end up with naught. I’m want to give him the benefit of the doubt bc he has been mostly great in market but I am very… Read more »
No player on the planet can help add defensive structure with our current system and management. I bet if we got Lionel Messi circa 2013 he would not benefit our team after 9 competitive matches as our new right wing back.
We could if Wenger hadn’t wasted so much money on dross
Shocking… Depressing!!!
How low my beloved Arsenal FC has sunk?!
The situation with City is ridiculous. Pep excluded, I think that that club is seriously troubling for football and the nature of politics in general.
Wouldn’t exclude Pep at all. He’s very much part of the problem in football, inflating salaries and supporting oil state investment in the game. Not to mention performance enhancing substances that go way back into his playing career.
Wasn’t the point of moving to the bigger stadium so we could compete with the best in Europe.
Now we can’t even tie up a deal for a second rate defender because we’re too slow.
We can’t compete with anyone for anyone. Blah blah blah. What a great advert to future signings.