We are approaching the start of August now and the marquee signing that we have been promised still hasn’t arrived. A whole host of names have been linked yet the only addition to our small squad is the young Frenchman Yaya Sanogo.

Same old Arsene

Could the reason for this be a lack of available targets, or because Arsene Wenger simply doesn’t want to spend. Amy Lawrence from the Guardian claimed last night that the latter.

Arsenal, and more specifically Arsene Wenger are struggling to break away from their frugal transfer market nature and this is holding them back when trying to sign big names.

There is a conflict within Arsenal. Ivan Gazidis is very keen to spend and has made this very clear- at the beginning of July we were told that we could afford the Rooney’s of this world and we are finally ready to compete financially with the big boys of European football.

Yet Arsene Wenger is keen to stick to his ways and find bargains and value for money despite the reported £70 million we have to spend, much to the annoyance of the Arsenal faithful.

It is not even as if the players aren’t out there- for a combined total of £65 million, we could have Fellaini and Suarez in our first team and with these players in tow an assault on the Premier League would not be too far off. But Arsene Wenger’s old ways are hindering our progress and something needs to change.

Higuain failure

This is exemplified perfectly with Gonzalo Higuain. Reportedly we agreed a €25 million fee in June, then Real Madrid changed their mind and wanted more in the region of €35 million. In the end a cash rich Napoli decided €35 million was an acceptable fee and we ended up losing our main target.

Clubs with enormous amounts of money like Arsenal at the moment should not have any problem identifying targets. It is inevitable that when other clubs know that we have a large amount of money at our disposal, we are always going to have to pay an inflated fee.

Look at the other transfers this summer- Higuain £31 million, Cavani £55 million, Falcao £52 million- all at least 10-15 million above their actual value but these are the prices you have to pay to secure a player with so much competition on the global market.

Come the end of the summer, if our transfer kitty hasn’t been touched then Arsene Wenger has something to answer for. Frankly, it is quite absurd that a club that has been limited financially for so long is not determined to compete. If we stick with our current squad, seeing Chelsea, Man City, Man United and even Spurs all strengthening heavily, then this year will be our toughest fight for a top 4 finish ever. A club with money to spend like us should be using this platform to try to win the title next year, not settle for mediocrity again.

Come the Emirates Cup this weekend, if no signing has been made expect the ‘Spend some f***ing money chants to be in full swing’.

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Comments  

+1 #29 Samuel Edet 2013-08-02 05:28
I did mentioned earlier that Wenger will not buy any player , that He is just playing with our intelligence. All he wants is for US to buy the season's ticket with the hope that we where bringing in some good signings. He started with: Roony, Falani, then Higuain and Suarez very soon it will be Messi . He is only looking for unkwon names to develop. I bet you all , if Wenger buys Suarez, I bet all our fans, I will offer a live fans liberation night at the Emirate. I had already told my Bankers to make available £100 million . I had Earlier told Wenger to come for some money for the out-right purchase of Suarez . But he claims that money is not the issue. Then we should ask Him what is the issue. He loves tricking He is disappointed that Real Madrid pulled out of Suarez. Watch, He will want to go for C. Ronaldo. He is a JOKER. The same old Arsene Wenger.
+2 #28 Eeeeeee 2013-08-01 15:52
Wengers a joke
Looking after himself
If he spends he loses out on bonuses
Highest paid manager in the world feathering his own nest
Move over the games up
+2 #27 Macgooner 2013-07-31 22:37
Arsene doesnt know how to deal with star players bought in.only his projects.i say thanks arsene now lets bring in the next man to take us up into the super club spending bracket!!
-3 #26 Digby 2013-07-31 17:48
Quoting Rabbie:
I thinks all supporter need some sort of explosion, boycott , wenger and Ivan gaz should out now not tomorrow. We can't take anymore, this is enough and more then enough. Arsen wenger is totally joke.


Are you sure about that? 'Cause he won the league undefeated one year without star signings. If you can't take anymore, stop reading the papers for awhile, you'll feel much better... :)
+2 #25 Rabbie 2013-07-31 15:32
I thinks all supporter need some sort of explosion, boycott , wenger and Ivan gaz should out now not tomorrow. We can't take anymore, this is enough and more then enough. Arsen wenger is totally joke.
+2 #24 Stu 2013-07-31 09:01
And then Wenger comes out with the bollocks that we can win the league. Absolute joke.
+1 #23 Stu 2013-07-31 09:00
If Wenger doesn't want to spend money to strengthen the squad, then we should sack him and find a manager that will. This summer has been even worse than the Cesc/RVP summers as we have money now but we're still not spending it. It is an absolute farce. At the moment, we are going into the season with one centre forward, three centre backs, two very average goalkeepers and a very small handful of midfielders, which includes the injury prone Wilshere and Diaby, the aging Rosicky and Arteta and the average Ramsey. ***ing ridiculous.
+2 #22 PRECHOX 2013-07-31 02:00
we now cash in and not signing.why?!!!!!!!! !!!!!
+3 #21 reg 2013-07-31 01:48
how long will it take you my fellow Arsenal fans to know that Wenger and his bosses are toying with our hard earn money, brain and they call all fans fools. They will hold us up by linking every good player to Arsenal as always and will never buy. When the season starts we will foolishly head to the stadium with our hard earned money to fill up their pockets. I advice we boycott the Emirate cup to show them we are no fools. Wenger already knows players he wants to buy if he's going to buy but he'll do that at his usual time a day or two days to transfer closing date. You already know the kind of players he'll buy by that time. Likes of Santos. What a cheap man.
#20 maidas 2013-07-30 21:52
Imagine Suarez cazorla wilshere arteta & walcott leading the pack in a typical match !
#19 maidas 2013-07-30 21:45
Quoting Digby:
Quoting maidas:

Sweet! Another faithful fan who would prefer to kick a dead horse at d end of d season rather than raise alarm and sort for solution to avoid horse's eventual demise!


I just don't think we should get caught in the trap of throwing money at this for no good reason. If an opportunity presents itself (ie someone who would be a good fit in terms of position, abilities and character) then of course we should buy. I just think throwing 50 million pound notes around is the ultimate in impulse buying and, ultimately, hubris.

Every jack,dick & Harry knows what a fantastic player suarez is,d waiting in place game Wenger appears to be playing costs us d signing of Higuain(now in Napoli)& I'm sure if he doesnt up his bid we'll def not sign suarez.Besides if a player like cavani can go for £50plusmillion why won't Suarez cost as much as cavani.Then again,we talk of his character,FYI I don't see a suarez in Arsenal jersey biting off an ivanovic ear or being accused of racism.At Arsenal FC character's of utmost importance.Besides why do we think Rogers is so bent on not releasing despite his character...
+2 #18 TC 2013-07-30 20:08
Spot on Amy, Wonger is stubborn to the point of obsessive with what he calls bargain buys. Just because HE doesn't want to spend any money as he thinks he is spending his own, if he wasn't making so much money for the board he would have been gone years ago.
#17 Digby 2013-07-30 19:49
Quoting maidas:

Sweet! Another faithful fan who would prefer to kick a dead horse at d end of d season rather than raise alarm and sort for solution to avoid horse's eventual demise!


I just don't think we should get caught in the trap of throwing money at this for no good reason. If an opportunity presents itself (ie someone who would be a good fit in terms of position, abilities and character) then of course we should buy. I just think throwing 50 million pound notes around is the ultimate in impulse buying and, ultimately, hubris.
-2 #16 Keiran 2013-07-30 19:48
I have every faith Wenger why buy a couple of big names this season, it's just the Wenger out brigade that has little faith. They listen to journalists that have no clue how to manage a football club and believe what they're saying is right. Wenger will spend if he doesnt moan but till then be quiet
+1 #15 maidas 2013-07-30 17:42
Quoting Digby:
It's not how much we spend - it's how well we perform on the pitch. Liverpool have spent millions in the past. Spurs too. Chelsea too. All for what? Sometimes you have to have a little faith in the people that get paid to do this for a living. Now that everyone knows we come to the table with bags of money they'll overcharge. AW knows what needs to be done to fill any gaps and take us to the next level. Let him get on with it and stop all these pointless tantrums. Judge the results at the end of the season...

Sweet! Another faithful fan who would prefer to kick a dead horse at d end of d season rather than raise alarm and sort for solution to avoid horse's eventual demise!
-6 #14 Smurp 2013-07-30 17:42
Why doesn't he go for someone with a bit of proven quality. There is a Russian lad for Zenit that has scored in every game he has played for them so far this season, his name is Andrei Arshavin. Granted he is 31 but he will only cost about 3 or 4 million. He is a hell of a lot better than Park, Bendtner, Chamakh and some other donks he still owns.
#13 DAVEYBOY59 2013-07-30 17:40
if your use to trading at the lower level,how can you shop at the high end. AW is used to aldi, so he cant shop at harrods, no matter how much cash he has.
IT WILL NOT HAPPEN!!!!!!
#12 Goona 2013-07-30 17:38
Wenger out! that's the only answer as this man is not to be trusted to run our club any more and I can't believe that so called fans are still running on with "in Arsene we trust". If they had any feelings for the club at all surely they most know that we haven't won a trophy for 8 years and not running on with that silly "in arsene we trust". Do these people really care about Arsenal? have they got feelings? If they have they've certainly got a funny way of showing it....
#11 Digby 2013-07-30 17:33
It's not how much we spend - it's how well we perform on the pitch. Liverpool have spent millions in the past. Spurs too. Chelsea too. All for what? Sometimes you have to have a little faith in the people that get paid to do this for a living. Now that everyone knows we come to the table with bags of money they'll overcharge. AW knows what needs to be done to fill any gaps and take us to the next level. Let him get on with it and stop all these pointless tantrums. Judge the results at the end of the season...
#10 neamman 2013-07-30 17:16
Trust Arsene. Every manager makes bad buys.. even Fergie.
+5 #9 Nate 2013-07-30 16:53
This article has roused the anger in many a fan and it might be quite right. But, I say wait till the end of T-window to express our anger. I think Wenger will do something before TW closes. He knows if he doesn't, he'll be caught red-handed with Gazidis being acquitted.
+5 #8 Peltonboy 2013-07-30 16:06
AW should examine his own record, for ever Henry and Viera he has found there have been three or four Chemakas and Squillachis.
The PL is the most demanding league in the world. There are no easy games. To win you need top quality, proven players, the Gervinhos of the world are soon found wanting. To win, not just finish in the top 4 we need to do what our rivals have done in recent times and buy quality. OK, for five or six years there was the valid excuse of paying off the new stadium debt, but that has not been the case for the last couple. AW says the players are not there to buy, this is not true. He missed Mata last season because he dithered, likewise Cahill and now Higauin together with numerous others. He is far to comfortable in his job and needs someone chivvying him up. Kronke is quite happy with rumbling along in fourth and getting a nice return on his money without any need to put his hand in his pocket. He does not have the same passion as a true supporter.
#7 maidas 2013-07-30 15:43
Don't we get it.Wenger is an adamant fool who will prefer to stick to some stupid principles because of his about-to-be-deflated ego.if anything Wenger needs to leave Arsenal,only then can we progress,only then can we compete for trophies!

Unfortunately fans have been fooled into buying tickets for the coming season by the incessant carrot & stick method of wetting fans appetite with links with big players-well, mission accomplished & ticket money pocketed.I pity us fans !
+3 #6 theo 2013-07-30 15:37
dont panic. gareth barry on his way, then maybe stuart downing and another totally unknown french lower league top top player


seriously. does anyone really think suarez is even remotely thinking of coming to us? wenger will sign no one of any stature. the only thing he will sign is his contract
+1 #5 Chris 2013-07-30 15:30
63m for Suarez and Fellaini? Absolutely not! Suarez would probably cost around 50m and fellaini 23-25m so we're talking about 75m! Higuain was the best striker option and if Wenger decided against bidding 35m for him, he must be willing to bring Suarez! and with Suarez, 70m wont be enough to strengthen our team. We need a powerful defensive midfielder, a good central defender, maybe Cesar for 1m and finally a wing (or a promotion for Gnabry whom I think is ready)
-6 #4 Gervais Cangy 2013-07-30 15:30
Wenger will not buy Suarez nor any other big name for that matter. If we was serious about it, he would have bought Higuain. I hope Spurs beats us to fourth next season.
+7 #3 partimo 2013-07-30 15:06
wenger should do something or move from arsenal
+9 #2 rellends 2013-07-30 15:04
despite none of our good players being continually linked with a club with ambition, once again we are behaving poorly in the market. couldn't even sign a note for the milkman. abysmal.
+2 #1 Double98 2013-07-30 14:58
All the transfers will stem from the big one..
If he signs Suarez then he will know the attributes required to best work with him..
Higuain, Rooney are different types of strikers for different amounts... maybe he cant get fellaini if he buys Suarez...

You get your meat before you decide on the sauce...