Arsene Wenger finally got Arsenal's chequebook out on
Monday - but left some Gunners fans raging over who he
hasn’t signed.
Wenger tied up a £15million deal for talented Southampton
teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. But fed-up Arsenal supporters
want to know why he is prepared to spend big on a rookie but
not on proven Premier League players.
The Gunners' last trophy came in the 2005 FA Cup final and
manager Wenger has repeatedly insisted he is building for the
future.
But Pete Wood, who runs Arsenal fans’ website Le Grove, said:
“It’s just amazing that we’ve spent the whole summer trying to buy
Gary Cahill or Chris Samba but have been told that we won’t pay
over the odds. “But we will pay top dollar for a young talent who
has been playing in League One?
“I’m sure Oxlade-Chamberlain is going to be a good player, but
it leaves you wondering: ‘Where are Arsenal’s priorities?’
“They’ve got a lot of talented young, fast players already - and
they need a centre-back. Fan expectation has never been so
low.
“Finishing fourth will seem like winning a trophy. It leaves you
thinking this will be Wenger’s last season.”
Season-ticket holder Darren Epstein added: “I hope it will be
followed by other signings for the squad. The club has said they
would be active, so let’s hope they are true to their word with at
least one defender.”
Meanwhile, Wenger is likely to further upset Arsenal supporters
by admitting defeat in the battle to keep Samir Nasri.
The Gunners boss is bracing himself for Manchester City to come
in with a new offer for the contract-rebel midfielder this
week.
City manager Roberto Mancini is expected to bid in excess of
£22m, which will give Wenger a huge dilemma.
Unhappy Nasri wants to leave Arsenal and has only one year left
on his contract. Wenger must decide whether to cash in now or risk
losing him for nothing next summer.
It is understood City are ready to more than treble Nasri’s
current wages and give him a five-year deal worth £180,000-a-week.
The incredible money on offer has left the player, who had been
linked with Manchester United, wanting to move to the Etihad
Stadium.
Mancini sees Nasri as the missing piece of his jigsaw at City
and has made it plain that he wants to sign two new players before
the transfer window shuts on August 31.
Losing Nasri will leave Arsenal devastated, as they are already
set to lose Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona, who are promising a new,
improved bid this week.
Wenger insisted last month that Arsenal dare not sell both Nasri
and Fabregas this summer, or else they could “no longer be called a
big club.”
