Wenger - I won't spend for the sake of it

By Chris Harris

Arsène Wenger will not be rushed into spending the transfer funds at his disposal - despite the Club's sparkling financial results.

The annual figures released on Monday morning showed Arsenal are in rude health with record revenues of £313million and pre-tax profits of £45.5m. With a firm financial platform in place, the clamour for Wenger to reinforce his squad will surely grow as the January transfer window approaches.

The Frenchman has already recruited Andrey Arshavin and Thomas Vermaelen this year, yet he made a net transfer profit after sanctioning the departures of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City. But if you think that money is burning a hole in Wenger's pocket, think again. The Arsenal manager is happy with his current squad and will not spend for the sake of it.

"It is true there is money and people reproach me for not losing money," said Wenger. "It is not a personal thing, it is just that I have a squad that is strong enough to compete.

"We have worked with the young players and I am at a stage where they are now coming out - Diaby, Denilson, Song, Fabregas, Walcott, Vela, Ramsey. I have so many players and if I buy now in front of them, I will not find better players. I will not have a better team.

"Look at the two last players we bought - Arshavin and Vermaelen. We have spent money. When we bought Vermaelen was he a big name? Certainly not because nobody knew him.

"It's not because I'm against spending money, I have nothing against spending money. But I do not spend money because out of the squad [to face Olympiacos] is Nasri, Walcott and Bendtner. And people want me to buy strikers, but where do I put them? I don't know. I have to then lose players, who, for me, are world-class.

"If you are convinced you can maintain your policy and he is the player who makes the difference, then you spend money. But if you buy one player who you have to pay £15million a year, you cannot keep the rest at two [million]. You have to think about the consequences."

[Tuesday, September 29, 2009]

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