Arsenal FC Manager Arsene Wenger has hit back at his critics in a not so subtle manner. Wenger and Arsenal have come under fire for not being very aggressive this summer transfer window. (They really have been extremely quiet and rather inactive this transfer period).
Today, following the Gunners’ goalless draw with defending champions Leicester City, Wenger praised his center back Rob Holding, but said that he was sorry the player didn’t cost £55 million.
“We have a whole team working on the strengthening of the team. I’m not the only one,” Wenger said in his postgame news conference.
“Unfortunately no one speaks about the performance of Rob Holding. You should be happy, he is English and 20 years old. I am sorry he didn’t cost £55 million, so he can’t be good.”
“We don’t speak about the performances anymore and I think that is not right.” But wait, there’s more:
Arséne Wenger: "What matters to me is when you have a club with 600 employees you have the money to pay them at the end of the month."
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) August 20, 2016
Just last month, Wenger reassured fans that upgrades were coming this summer. He said the team would spend “big money” this summer…but only on the right player.
Not sure that many Arsenal fans believed those words however; and right now, it looks like they were absolutely right in doubting him.
“I am sure my chief executive didn’t want to dampen the expectations on that front,” Wenger said after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at RC Lens in a preseason game.
“We are very active, and if we find the right candidates we will spend big money. We have already spent big,” he concluded.
Big money. Huge. Gonna spend so much, and win so hard.
Sorry, sounding a little bit like Donald Trump here with that boastful talk regarding business deals.
Arsenal has only had one major signing this summer, Granit Xhaka, but it did involve a big £30 million fee. They did also sign Japanese youngster Takuma Asano. However, they don’t seem to be trying too hard to make another significant addition before the transfer window closes in 10 days.
There haven’t really been any big time transfer rumors relating to any potential Arsenal player buys lately.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.