Arsene Wenger has insisted he’s not afraid to spend in the transfer market following Thiery Henry’s claims that top players are unwilling to join Arsenal. Granit Xhaka is Arsenal’s only major signing this summer though they are looking for a centre back and a striker before the transfer window closes. Frustrations among the fans boiled over after Arsenal lost their season opening game to Liverpool 4-3 on Sunday, while playing with two young centre-backs, 20 year old debutant Rob Holding and Calum Chambers.
Arsenal has been in discussions with Valencia over a deal for Germany international Shkodran Mustafi, but talks have reportedly stalled over the transfer fee.
In an interview on Thursday last week, Wenger said Arsenal aren’t being too frugal.
“You are absolutely convinced that I don’t want to spend the money,” he said. “I would just like to reassure you we are ready to spend the money we have as always. Not the money we haven’t got. And it’s not my money,” he said. “Buying calms the fans down of course, but first of all you have always to be convinced by the quality of the player. Before you pay over the odds you have to be convinced that the player is good enough to strengthen your squad, and you have then to make a decision how much you pay. That is not the basic problem,” he added.
Wenger also responded to some pointed questions from former player Thierry Henry on Sky Sports after the Liverpool game, when the Gunners great questioned whether the club can still attract top talent. Arsenal faced Leicester striker Jamie Vardy at the King Power Stadium on Saturday after he rejected a move to the Emirates in favor of a new deal with the Foxes But Wenger dismissed the notion that players don’t view Arsenal as a top destination.
“I don’t feel that, no,” he said
“We have plenty of players who want to join us. I would say even all the players who left, 99.5 percent of players have asked to come back even when they left,and Henry is one of them. So I don’t think there’s a problem to attract key players.”
