Arsene Wenger: Arsenal will be busy in the transfer market

Wenger insists there is enough time for Arsenal to strengthen their squad

Sky Sports News say that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that the club will be active in the transfer market, as the clock ticks towards the September 2nd deadline. The North London side have only added France U-21 international Yaya Sanogo to their ranks as 17 players have left the club, temporarily or permanently.

Gunners’ chief executive Ivan Gazidis began the summer on the offensive as he talked up Arsenal’s new-found “financial firepower”, but so far the Emirates faithful have been left frustrated as the cull on players who were deemed surplus to requirements has not been complemented by significant strengthening of the squad.

Arsenal looked set to sign Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain earlier in the summer, but the striker joined Napoli instead, as Arsenal sought Liverpool‘s Luis Suarez and put the Higuain transfer on hold. The Anfield outfit have held firm despite Suarez publicly expressing his desire to be allowed to leave. The Suarez situation looks unlikely to be sorted before deadline day, as he will miss the first 6 matches of the Premier League due to his ban for biting Chelsea‘s Branislav Ivanovic.

Arsenal had a bid for Lars Bender rejected and have been linked with Luiz Gustavo in the last week. Any players who come in now will require time to integrate with the current squad, so it looks as though Arsenal will have to go through the first month with a paper thin squad, not only in the Premier League but also in the Champions League group stage qualifiers against Fenerbahce.

Wenger told Arsenal Player: “We are active. We are in a situation like Manchester United, like Chelsea, where everybody expects signings and at the moment not a lot has happened.

“There are 18 days to go, so that is a long time in the transfer market and we will be active. I cannot certify what the number [of players coming in will be], but we will be active until the end, that is for sure.”

On the eve of the new Premier League season, it looks as though Arsenal’s streamlined squad is weaker than at the end of the previous season. Injuries picked up by players during the pre-season means that Arsenal have just 15 first team members available against Aston Villa tomorrow.