Arsene Wenger has revealed
he will meet with Arsenal's paymasters in the coming days in order
to establish his summer transfer budget.
After enduring their worst ever campaign under the French boss,
Arsenal have been linked with a number of star signings including
Marseille's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all have the capacity to
spend big in the summer, but any huge acquisitions for Arsenal
would be firmly against the precedent set by Wenger during his ten
years in North London.
Young Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is already on his way, and
Wenger will now meet with the Arsenal board in order to ascertain
what further resources will be at his disposal when the transfer
window opens.
"Certainly there is money to spend in the summer. How much? Frankly
at the moment I do not know. We have to see," said Wenger.
"It is linked as well with who goes out, who comes in. You can
create money. That is what we always try to do - but how much I do
not know.
"I will be meeting the board at some point next week to discuss the
budget."
Wenger is also aware that he cannot replace the vast wealth of
experience The Gunners have lost in recent years over the course of
one pre-season.
"You look in the last two years - we
have lost Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Sylvain Wiltord, Sol
Campbell, Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira, Edu, Kanu, Martin
Keown.
"It is a capital of experience you lose and you do not replace that
from one second to the next. We have potential, but at the moment
we are a bit short."
Wenger would previously have relied on David Dein to help implement
his transfer policy, but the former vice-chairman has still not
been replaced since his shock departure last month.
Dein has been linked with a possible return to the club as part of
any takeover from Stan Kroenke, but Wenger is not anticipating
seeing his friend in the halls of Emirates Stadium any time
soon.
"At the moment there is no possibility he will come back," Wenger
added.
"I feel David is needed in football, because this guy has
revolutionised this club and English football.
"Will he stay in football, I would say yes. Will he come back to
Arsenal? I do not know. At the moment, it is
unlikely."
Indeed.. 