Premier League: Arsenal: Wenger vows to spend this summer
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
5:21 PM
ARSENE Wenger insists Arsenal will have money to spend this summer after facing up to the reality of a fifth successive season without silverware.
But the Gunners boss believes that mega-rich clubs like title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United, and Manchester City – who come to the Emirates on Saturday – continue to distort the Premier League and make it impossible for Arsenal to sign the world’s best players.
“Manchester City will be a challenge next season, of course, they are on a serious chequebook,” said Wenger, whose side will clinch third place and Champions League group stage qualification if they beat City on Saturday evening and Spurs lose to Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the day.
“We cannot compete [on wages] with teams like Chelsea,” added Wenger.
“That is simple, but I believe what is not normal is not our wage bill, but theirs, because it should not be allowed.
“There are top players who can’t all go to Chelsea, it’s as simple as that. And there are top players outside those that Chelsea want to buy who are good enough for us.”
“We have maybe not been investing because of the [Emirates] stadium but I think our financial position is now becoming much stronger and we will be capable of buying the players we need to buy,” said the Frenchman who is rumoured to have £30m to invest in new talent over the summer.
First on his list could well be a new goalkeeper after the shaky displays from Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski in the defeats at Spurs and Wigan last week that have all but ended Arsenal’s title challenge.
City’s England international Joe Hart, currently on loan at Birmingham, is believed to be among the targets for the summer, but Wenger will first concentrate on the final three games of this campaign before turning his attentions to next season, the last under his current contract.
“I felt this year I must win a trophy and I believe we are very close,” continued Wenger.
“I believe it is very difficult at the moment in England to stay at the top because you have so many teams who have quality and are threatening.
“The first challenge is to stay at the top, then it is about winning the trophy, the league or the Champions League. The rest is cups and that is not exactly the same. The real quality is to win the championship or the Champions League.
“The competition is very high just to stay at the top level and that is a target that not everybody thought we would reach. We have not reached it yet so of course we will assess it.
“It will be a decisive year next year for this team, that is for sure.”
