Arsene Wenger was a little frosty when he was first asked about the arrival of Sven Mislintat in December, however, he admits that Arsenal’s new head of recruitment made it easier to negotiate a deal with Borussia Dortmund for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabon international signed for the Gunners in a club-record deal on Wednesday and could, should he be fully recovered from a virus, make his debut against Everton on Saturday evening.
Aubameyang arrives at the Emirates alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another player who made great waves at the Westfalenstadion.
While Wenger says it’s a bit of a coincidence that the Gunners ended up with two former Dortmund players, he hinted that Mislintat played an important role.
“I’ve known him [Aubameyang] since he played in France for Saint-Etienne,” Wenger told Arsenal.com.
“He was always a player who impressed me. We had an opportunity that I wanted to take, because we have Sven Mislintat here who knows him well, and he had good connections with him. That made it easier to get an approach to Dortmund.
“By coincidence, it worked out that we got two ex-Dortmund players, him and Mkhitaryan, coming from two different clubs. We did well.
“Let’s not forget that we lost many players, and we lost goals with Walcott, Giroud and Alexis. We needed somebody of offensive power to come in and help us to score goals.”
While Aubameyang’s attacking quality is not in doubt there have been questions about the player’s temperament. Following his Dortmund departure, the striker apologised to his former club for ill-discipline in recent weeks. Such behaviour is not something that Wenger envisages coming tot he fore at Arsenal.
“I am quite confident that this will be a new challenge for him,” Wenger said. “I know him from France – he played for St Etienne and Bastia – and usually his behaviour was never a problem. He is a professional guy.
“We had interest in him when he was already in Dortmund. I followed him at St Etienne when he played more on the flanks – especially on the left and on the right. He can play down the flanks and through the middle, that was what was interesting as well.”
‚when he played more on the flanks – especially on the left and on the right’ epic 🙂
I knew that Arsene is an intelligent man, but that he is aware of more flanks than left and right ?
“By coincidence, it worked out that we got two ex-Dortmund players, him and Mkhitaryan, coming from two different clubs.
IMO I don’t think it is a coincidence. If our new internal people had not been recruited by Gazidis, I’m almost certain those 2 players wouldn’t have been signed.
If Wenger knew of Auba a long time ago, why did he not take a punt?
How does one take a punt if he has no money? People expect Wenger to do everything perfectly well. You can’t sign an Ozil every window without money and connections. Wenger never had money to begin with and he looked even more lonely since David Dein left. Wenger managed to get Ozil because Ozil wanted to play under him. It’s the same with Lacazette. Wenger can only do so much when it comes to transfers. Not every superstar in the world would come on cheap because they to play for Arsene. He needed someone like Sven and Sanllehi since Dein… Read more »
We have had a few hundred mlllion in the bank for many years.. Auba cost Dortmund 10 million quid in 2013… He woukd have cost less than Giroud and 3 years younger. Wengers own admission is he has known Auba for a long tine so why not take a punt at 10m? My main point is he is trying to give a different impression as to why Auba signed . When Dein was ousted, we paid a heavy price and have never recovered. If you are correct that Wenger can only do so much and I susoect you are why… Read more »
are you an accountant? is all that earmarked for transfers only? wages? its not just cashflow for AFC in general?
Next thing you going to say is we have 2 owners that are billionaires so there really should never be a problem with money?
Maybe it was wrong of him to take so much on all by himself, but anyone with a big ego would welcome the belief everyone had in his ability and you would want to show them they are not wrong. If he start telling Gazidas how to do his job and go to Kroenke to complain about not enough enough help since Dein had left ..well, it just doesn’t seem like something he would do. It’s not Arsene’s club, Kroenke owns it and he’s the one who needed to get football people around him and point out how Arsene needs… Read more »
Wenger ‘knows of’ lots of players – he can’t sign them all
He knows every player in Europe.
Except for the ones in the little German villages
Exactly . We lost so many players when Wenger was the one who did the negotiations. Even when we had the money . Remember Wenger bidding for 50 million or something then at the end of the transfer window made a 90 million bid but still didn’t get the guy. He is completely clueless about these sort of things . But he is so far up his ass that he outright refused the need for any football director to oversee those administration jobs. And now look at the results in just one transfer window that too a January window those… Read more »
50M before Neymar, 90M After Neymar
The irony of Barcelona complaining about inflated transfer fees was superb. And how players are approached while under contract lol
It is quite possible he meant to highlight that he could play on both the left and the right flank, as well as down the middle. Some players are restricted to left, middle or right by their ability. All jokes aside I believe this is an indication we will see Auba deployed on one of those infamous “left or right flanks” with Laca in the middle. Perhaps even today.
Hah, beat me to it!
“He can play down the flanks and through the middle, that was what was interesting as well.”
Haha. Oh Wenger.
Lets hope AW pulls a rabbit out of the bag and manages to play Auba and Laca with each other in a modified 4-2-2-2 form with Mkhi and Ozil behind them.
But the 2 central midfielders really need to get its act together and protect the backline at all costs-that being their first priority. With the offensive power upfront, we’ll score goals without needing Ramsey to play as a second striker for most of the match but we need to make sure we don’t concede goals lke we have been in the past couple of seasons
I’d love a diamond of elneny-micki-jack-özil behind laca-auba
I am starting to think the whole team just needs to play smarter to fix the defensive problems We’ve done it a number of times, vs Chelsea, City in the cup etc so it shows that we can, but we just don’t … If we can destroy them in the first 30 minutes like we did against Palace obviously that helps. We can just take our foot off the gas and save ourselves for the next game … might help with the workload, injuries etc … Also players who like to run in behind and score goals / counter attack… Read more »
and it obviously also helps when they work their butts off
The 4 – 2 – 2 – 2 formation does make a lot of sense. The risk however, is how we defend. I feel its safer playing Elneny and Jack in a two-man central midfield, play Ozil and Mhiki just behind Laca and Auba. One of the strikers, preferably, Auba can sometimes help Mhiki and Ozil in midfield while we still have Laca upfront.
I’m not excited by this team at all anymore. Can’t wait for AW to leave. It’s beyond boring anymore. It’s mind numbing.
Then support some other club till Wenger leaves. We can do without you negativity and vitriol
There are probably other boards where people just like to complain, if that’s your thing …
Yeah I agree! Arsenal Fan TV could give you a hand with that blud! Good Luck with that Fam.
I’m really excited about this new team!
Just fark off, 215.
I see no justification or reason for AW to leave … He has delivered 3 trophies plus 1 EFL final in 4 years , in EL knockout phase , kept the club financially secure and with the ability to attract world class players and retain the loyalty and respect of his players .He has a contract for the next season as well and the changes recently offer the prospect of the team being able to compete with the best in Europe . The manager retains the confidence and trust of the owner , so I think those who think the… Read more »
Its the most excited i have been by Arsenal for years, are you mad, i remember watching borussia dortmund being jealous of how they played better football than us many times.. some rebuilding in the summer at the other end of the pitch and we will be looking good. This team has so much potential
I totally understand what he is saying with regards to his wide comments, not sure why others are taking the piss?
He played on the flanks especially left and right.
There are only left and right flanks. It was enough to say he played on the flanks.
Eg my favourite part of my body is my lungs. Especially the left and the right ones.
I vote for testicles
Even though wenger has been in the uk for a long time. He is clearly still french and he speaks multiple languages. Anyone that listens to him knows that his pattern of speech can be of someone whos english isnt the native tongue. He may have been stressing that he can play on both flanks. Even if he isnt the worlds top manager anymore. Give the man a break and stop looking for every opportunity to berate him. Especially when it comes to language. He speaks more eloquoantly than most english people ive met and has given this club a… Read more »
Again, as stated, I get what he is saying. To me, it’s just another Wengerism. I still don’t see the point of taking the piss? I guess kids need to be kids on the wind up. Carry on.
Just thought it was funny, nothing more!
He didn’t say ‘especially left and right’. He said ‘especially left’.
We shouldn’t forget that English is Wenger’s second language. He’s highlighting that Aubameyang has played on both flanks, as opposed to just one.
If you look at the atletico Madrid teams that have been so hard to beat, you don’t find too many world class players but players with grit and mettle, willing to play for their manager and for the club. That’s all I ask of our players. We have world class players now so let’s go on a good run. Win the carabo cup, Europa league and our season would surely have ended in success. COYG!!!!
Well said.
“I followed him at St Etienne when he played more on the flanks – especially on the left and on the right.”
Haha. I know we all have our complaints about him but I’m gonna miss the old man when he’s gone.
So true Jasmeet. I remember when a journalist tried a crap April fools joke on him in a press conference and AW cracked up like it was the funniest thing ever.
Like you say he has his faults but I’ll miss the fact of having the most intelligent manager ever who is Inspector Clouseau
Arsene, just don’t get now the idea to put him on the flanks
Oh but I thought Wenger hated Mislintat..
Basically he finally sucked up his pride and admitted it wasn’t really him who convinced Auba to come to Arsenal.
Wish the same was true when he was about to sign the contract last summer.
When was this ever said?
Would Arsene have convinced him otherwise?
“Come join Arsenal where the appeasing mediocrity I allow to happen season after season is a way of life.”
“In addition, we also have a nasty tart called Ricardo.”
That was the clincher.
A P not sure if you’re only here fishing for likes or making a point?
Must be on the Wenger In bandwagon. Sad little nugget.
Be prepared to see AW contract being extended if he delivers 1 trophy plus CL spot this year … that would be totally justified in any club …. Bias without any rationale should never influence these decisions … only results .
Poor Arsene. This is what happens when you don’t leave when you should. Now he is here, he is going to have to pretend that what is happening all around him is not really happening.
We need to get more people like Sven. Hopefully with greater influence in South America.
Finally we have a player that Wenger followed since he was young and now in his prime. no more stories or memes of how he got away!