ARSENE WENGERS SAYS a lack of “financial power” prevented Arsenal from bolstering their defensive ranks in the January transfer window.
The Gunners were able to bring added firepower in the final third onto their books, with a club-record £55 million fee acquiring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan also arrived from Manchester United in a swap deal which took Alexis Sanchez in the opposite direction.
Promising Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was the only addition at the back, though, and Wenger admits he is unable to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool – who spent £57m and £75m on Aymeric Laporte and Virgil van Dijk respectively – for the best in the business.
The Frenchman told reporters after facing criticism for failing to enhance a key area of his squad: “Look, defensive strengthening is a huge problem for everybody.
“Everybody looks for defenders. You could see again, you look at City, they buy again a defender. How much money did they spend on defenders in the last three years?
“We don’t have the financial power of Manchester City. And the fact that they conceded half the goals we conceded is as well down to the fact that offensively they are very powerful. And they have a lot of possession in the opponent’s half that we have not.”
Arsenal were heavily linked with West Brom’s Jonny Evans as the window came to a close.
The former Manchester United centre-half would have added vast Premier League experience to their squad, but a late offer was knocked back by the Baggies.
Alan Pardew admitted after the deadline passed that an offer from Arsenal had got “nowhere near” securing the Northern Ireland international, with reports suggesting that the Gunners only put £12m on the table.
With no deal done, Wenger will have to dip back into the market over the summer if he is to find the necessary additions to a defensive unit which could lose Per Mertesacker at the end of his contract.
It’s midfield that’s the problem for arsenal. Time and time again xhaka and Ramsey switch off and don’t track the runners. They offer no protection. El Neny offers some but his positioning is poor and he’s out of his depth.
@Eanna Mac Donnchadha: if elneny was given a run in the team his positioning would improve imo. He’s already better than xhaka in that position who is absolutely hopeless. He needs to be taken out of team and only played beside a proper DM in future. Wenger made a mistake in letting coquelin go.
@Tim Dawson: elneny is better than Xhaka hahahaha stop talking shi*e
@Jordo: a better defensive midfielder you idiot. Xhaka is a roundabout defensively. Just look at Swansea first goal for the latest example
The January transfer window just proved there’s only one team trying to buy the EPL
@Jamie Smith: and the rest are stupid for not trying the same.
@Jamie Smith: but they already had it won before they bought Laporte( despite have loads of defenders) and tried to buy Mahrez (despite having loads of attackers). Fake news Alan
@Brian: *having
@Brian: ah ya maybe not January but peps spent half a billion pounds on players. He might not buy a 100million pound player but he will by 5 or 6 60million pound players and I think that’s the difference. City lads are all on an even keel regarding wages and transfer fees. The likes of Sanchez or Pogba coming in straight away on massive wages or a massive transfer fee creates an imbalance and jealousy within a squad I think.
@Jamie Smith: I agree. Spending 75m on an average defender is ridiculous. The funny thing is Liverpool can only keep clean sheets when he doesn’t play.
Other teams like united, didn’t spend a penny on transfers and got a world class player. That’s seriously good business.
@FPL Thommo: £500k a week? Good business you’re cracked
@Hardly Normal: Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly on 350k a week whereas Fernandinho is reportedly on 150k a week. Sergio Aguero is reportedly on 350k a week whereas Gabriel Jesus is reportedly on 150k a week. That’s a real even keel there alright.
@Jamie Smith: And over 5 year’s plis a 10 million signing on fee and a 8 million agent’s fee. For a free Transfer has to be the most ridicoulus EVER. Especially after that abject showing against the perennial bottlers Spurs. World class. Ha ha
@FPL Thommo: Technically Utd spent money on the Sanchez transfer fee but recouped it selling Arsenal the lad whose name I shall attempt to spell. If it was a free transfer a player wouldn’t have had to go the other way. On a side note when did people start adding wages to transfer fees? Or rounding fees up? I see people here claiming Pogba costs 130mil and VVD cost 100 million, who thought these people maths?
@Stephen Lyons: proof? In peps teams there’s never a bigger player than the club , Barca and Messi included , he’s all about the team and any sniff of trouble he gets rid. Has happened in every team he’s managed. They’re all equals and that’s what makes his team’s click.
Sorry wenger everyone can afford defender’s. Plenty of good options. Like United rejects Evans, Shawcross are consistent defender’s and 20/25 million would of got you either. Also Pool and City made huge investments in top CBs. Liverpool have invested in possibly the best CB in world football. That’s why it’s and investment. Once he doesn’t be coming to end of his 2nd season and still muck like Pogba is after 140 mill then ill be worried. Lol Lol. So get a grip Arsene.
@England’s Envy: Van dijk
@Shane clohessy: Virgil Van Dijk yes ??
@England’s Envy: VVD is the best CB in world football?
@Niall Buckley: mmmm yes
We spent 58 million one one player,yet sold Walcott for 20, giroud for 18 and coquelin for 12. So we only net spent 8 million,yet we don’t have enough to by a defensive player?
@Jack Fogarty: Sanchez?
@Jack Fogarty: don’t forget summer departures like ox for 40 Gabriel for 10. Is a joke. Money going straight into kroenkes pocket
@Jack Fogarty: sold two in Gabriel and Coquelin. Both a mistake.
Arsenal are basically a society for attacking midfielder
Iñigo Martínez €36m job done
I don’t think it really matters too much who they bring in until the coaching of the defensive side improves. The defender’s themselves are good, by they’re left exposed constantly by the midfield in front of them