Arsene Wenger’s press conference covered, among other topics, the financial gap between us and Manchester City, the use of video replays - and player contracts.
Read on for some of the key quotes from Friday’s media briefing:
on the financial gap between Arsenal and City…
It has reduced but it is still there. I believe we have the needed quality not to look at the financial differences as the reason why we should not win the game.
on selling players to City in the past…
Yes, they are good clients!
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on being not as vulnerable now to selling players…
Yes, because today I feel we can give financial satisfaction and support ambitions and values that can make the players happy at this club. Before, perhaps the financial gap was too big a difference to keep our players. We could not compete, we had to sell players.
on whether he has an update on Alexis’ future…
No.
on whether there being no financial fair play in China creates a disadvantage for European clubs…
I don’t know. If people want to go to China, they go to China. You can understand that I have completely different worries than China today ahead of the Manchester City game.
on whether a player would use an offer from China as a negotiation tool…
Look, I think I closed that subject. I believe that there is nothing more to add to that.
on Giroud and Coquelin’s contracts…
As soon as we have some news, we will inform you.
on Kieran Gibbs’ future…
It’s the same case. We cannot make a case of every single contract negotiation. Personally I think that Gibbs should stay here.
on video replays being used in the Club World Cup…
I’m a long-time fan of it and, looking at the referees, their quality and the speed of the game, I think they need help and that video can be of a very good assistance.
on whether he’d like to see it next season…
I would like to see it tomorrow morning.
on whether contract talks could affect players’ form…
There is no concern, not at all.
on why he is confident about that…
You waste your time because these players have 18 months on their contracts and I don’t see why there is any urgency in every press conference to have that question. Maybe you lack a bit of creativity in the newspapers and you always come up with the same subject. I don’t see why that should turn up in every press conference.
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