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Arsene Wenger offers transfer update…

By on July 30, 2016

Arsene wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has offered an update on his transfer plans and insists the club remain active in the market but won’t buy players for the sake of it.

Our summer started well following the £34m arrival of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka while young defender Rob Holding and unknown Japanese striker Takuma Asano have also arrived in recent weeks.

However, we desperately need to sign a top class striker to offer support to Olivier Giroud and a new centre-back is now a priority following Per Mertesacker’s unfortunate injury.

A whole host of names have been linked with a move to the Emirates recently but we’ve continually been frustrated in our pursuits but Wenger insists he won’t be bullied in to spending on players who he feels won’t improve the team.

Wenger maintains he is still in the market and confirmed he’s looking to strengthen the defence and attack, but suggests there is a real lack of quality players without our price-range available this summer.

Riyad Mahrez and Alexandre Lacazette have been heavily linked in recent days but Wenger wouldn’t be drawn on the speculation – although he did confirm he expects to sign a new defender before the start of the season.

Wenger told Arsenal.com:

on transfer approach…

I buy players that I feel can strengthen our team. Today you have to be very strong inside the club when you are responsible, not just to buy [for the sake of buying]. There’s always a wave of opinions. I must say people are better informed today – they know all the players. They tell you always that you should buy but when you ask them who to buy, they become much shorter. If you look at the market in Europe, there’s a lot of money available but not many players who really strengthen the teams. If you look at the teams that spend the most money in Europe, they’re not necessarily the teams that won the championships. The global investment of the clubs around us didn’t stop Leicester winning the championship.

on transfers…

We are still on the market for players. [Be it] at the front or at the back – we are on the market. Unfortunately we are not alone.

on Mahrez and Lacazette…

The best way to conclude transfers is not to talk about them, which is very difficult in the press conference! We are on the market but I don’t want to talk specifically about any player because that makes it more difficult for me – and it’s difficult enough.

on if he expects to sign defender before the season starts…

Yes I do.

Wenger’s comments aren’t going to stop fans getting frustrated because we’ve heard the same things for years now while watching all of our rivals spend heavily in the transfer market.

The fact is we need a defender and striker MINIMUM this summer and ideally we’d get them on board this coming week to give them a chance of featuring in our season opener against Liverpool on August 14th.

Over to you Arsene….