Sports news > Football news > Show us the money: Why Arsenal need to spend more, not less
Show us the money: Why Arsenal need to spend more, not less
With players either leaving or being enticed abroad, Arsene Wenger needs a much bigger treasure chest than the £25m promised. If the money does not materialise, could the Gunners drop out of the Big Four?
by James Mortimer on 10 May 2008
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Before he left the club, Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman advised Arsene Wenger to limit his spending to £25m.
At the beginning of the year, the January transfer window was largely ignored by the Gunners, while other clubs spent large amounts of money securing their squads.
It seemed that if Arsenal had £60-70m to spend, they would be transformed into the menace of Europe. When Thierry Henry was sold to Barcelona, the shopping began. Bacary Sagna and Lassana Diarra were obtained - but for what? Diarra moved to London but after not getting enough games, signed for Portsmouth. Was the young Frenchman's signing merely a short-term investment buy? The Gunners allegedly made a healthy profit of nearly £4m out of his move.
Isn’t Arsenal the club itself a business entity? The move from Highbury was to ensure added gate receipts from a 60,000 capacity stadium would give the club money to compete in the transfer market.
Comments (28)
by sham on May 10, 2008
you are on one my boy.. ac milan - solidify their squad. flaminin was a free transfer. arsenal out of the top four - we were unlucky not to be champions this year - only 4 points off the top and you think we'll be outside the top 4??? come on man, fix up... we'll be challenging again - as we should be.... you underestimate some of the players we have -
on May 10, 2008 on May 10, 2008
wenger is god
by UPYOURARSE nal on May 10, 2008
Mugs, I bet next week your moaning about how much money the 'big clubs' spend. Do you have any links with the sun glossy mag?
by Rupert Legge on May 10, 2008
It has been said....There is even talk. So it goes on. Please tell me how you KNOW that Edelman advised Wenger to limit his spending to £25m? How do you KNOW that Hleb is demanding a huge increase in wages? And why would he bother if,as you say, that he is likely to leave for Italy anyway. When is an article not really an article and just a load of mumbo jumbo put together by another chancer like Mortimer who has read a few bits here and there on the web and assembled it into this steaming pile of drivel. Of course he may be Edelman's confidant or he might even be one of Hleb's advisors but I seriously doubt it. My guess is that he's just another wally with too much time on his hands. Of course IT COULD BE SAID that AN INSIDER HAS REVEALED that THE RUMOUR IS that THERE HAS BEEN TALK that Mortimer has a brain but, having read his ramblings, THE WORD IS that he hasn't.
by REALIST on May 10, 2008
Even with 25mill, you can still raise another 15-25mill mill on selling players. Wenger needs to offload Hleb counter productive 6 assists Hoyte Senderos Djourou Gilberto Buy Ben arfa Nasri Green Barry Lucio THERE IS NO COMPETITION ON THE BENCH. JUST INEXPERIENCED YOUNGLINGS. WENGER GROW SOME BALLS AND STOP MOANING.
by Scully Scully on May 10, 2008
Emm, the Arsenal are 4 points off the top spot, without doubt we gave it away, how that equates to not being able to compete for top 4 spot next season, I just do not know! Clearly it is just wishful thinking.
by Essexian76 on May 10, 2008
Seem to recall that Wenger had 70 million, not 25, spouted off by the same guy who said that your were the richest club in the land, blah blah!, oh he's going I wonder why?, perhaps he like Dein is legging before a Russian zillionaire buys you before Carey Street beckons!
by Edikan Umoren on May 10, 2008
I LOVE ARSENAL
by george jacob on May 10, 2008
Every close season comes around, and there is an amount of buying and selling. Two years ago we bid farewell to Dennis, Bobby Pires, Lauren, Sol, Cashley, etc, and last year it was time to send TH 14 and Freddie off to new pastures. In 2007 we brought in Bacary, Eduardo, and brought back Bendtner. This summer is going to be no different - I didn't see Flamini making the impact that he has done, but one season doesn't make a superstar - and it remains to be seen how well the guy will do in Italy - who's he going to replace in the Milan midfield - Kaka, Gattuso, Pirlo ?? Anyhow, lets see what unfolds. I don't buy the doom and gloom soothsaying - we had it last summer remember. A few prudent buys - including a replacement for Hleb could be a good option in the long term - too often last year, for all his deft ball skills, he didn't deliver the EARLY killer ball that has so often been central to Arsenal's play during AW's reign.
by Sue H on May 10, 2008
You people really need to chill out . Lets just wait and see what happens. Either way if Hleb goes we have cover.....to be honest he's not all that people make him out to be
by jd on May 10, 2008
Some websites are reporing Arsenal have struck a £16 million deal for Ben Arfa. Any one know if there is any truth in that?
Despite your rather crude attempts at abuse there is no research here, only selective picking of other poorly constructed articles. I assume you are the genius who wrote this piece of "journalism" but I am not sure as you don't credit yourself with a name. But for your future information, research would be if you had spoken directly to Mr Edelman or Mr Hleb and you didn't did you? No, of course you didn't and your attempts to link yourself with the word journalism merely shows the pathetic, small and self-centred little world you live in. Oh, and did you notice that I didn't even have to resort to obscenity to put my point across. Give a moron a computer and Internet access and this is what happens. I await your crude response with anticipation.
(a) Edelman hasn't left Arsenal he is staying for a year to help the new MD settle in.(b) Eduardo was the replacment for Henry and last years biggest signing why was he not mentioned (c) If Wenger brought in more world class players you would slate him for not letting the English youngsters have a chance like when Bentley couldn't get into the team because of Pires/Lungberg.(d) Arsenal have not compelted the move to the Emirates until 2009 when the old Highbury development is sold (then they are left with a managable loan fixed at about 5%) (e)If you was going to buy anything would you tell the seller what you had in your pocket? (f) Everyone is watching Fabregas! Well he is a world class player so is that a shock? Unfortunataly for them he has seven or eight years left on his contract and he loves Wenger (g) A true supporter is interested in every aspect of his/her club it's a bit like watching a big soap opera and blog sites like this would not exist if it wasn't for the interest of the fans..
by Joel Cairo on May 10, 2008
Simple minds equate spending more with getting better. Ask Spurs how well that worked this year. And who contributed more to his team this year -- Sagna or Nani? Duh!!! Adebayor is ahead of Torres -- who cost more? Who scores much much more outside of Anfield? As the silly season begins, try to make sense. Arsenal are poised to crush anyone without a Russian billionnaire backing them -- does anyone think ManU or Liverpool have as much control over what will happen to their debt in the next few years as Arsenal? Can poor-boys Spurs really get better even if they stop making bad personnel decsions? Last summer, the purchase of Sagna and Eduardo, combined with the maturation of young players, bought 12-15 more points, more goals, and almost a title. Maturation and internal improvement is assured. Wenger needs to deal with the injury-prone and add a few more players, and the job is done. 25 million may be plenty for someone who understands that spending smartly beats wastefulness almost every time.
Ever seen that Nationwide advert with that bank manager that just takes everyones money and rips them off, well thats just like Arsenal Fc!
No!
by Akul on May 11, 2008
why is it that all of a sudden, just when our squad is looking the strongest it has been in 3 years everyone is leaving!! i mean being an arsenal fan i feel so sad deep inside that we got soooo close and on top of that cant keep a brilliant squad.. For the past three years i've been repeating "next season" to my friends but this time i said it with conviction coz i was positive we would wrangle silverware next season... but now it seems like everything is falling apart - and that too for money? I wna tell flamini - wait a damn year or two and when the club debt is mostly payed u'll get ur due salary!! And i hate the ******* italian clubs.. Filthy cheats. Keep ur noses to urself! Newayz wid flamini gone and wid hlebs loyalties elsewhere we need reinforcements.. Arsene plz do something!!! We're so close to invincibles!
by conor smyth on May 11, 2008
ihink this was all said last year but as the table shows this did not happen and last season we spent less than this 25 million sum which i do not beleive this figure is correct.
i think this was all said last year but as the table shows this did not happen and last season we spent less than this 25 million sum which i do not beleive this figure is correct.
by astrit dervishaj on May 11, 2008
I THINK THAT ARSENAL NEED NEW PLAYERS FOR NEXT SEASON TWO DEFENDERS LIKE {RICARD DUNNE and VINCENT KOMPANY} A GOALKEEPER LIKE {HEURELHO GOMES} TWO WINGERS LIKE {BEN ARFA to relpace HLEB and ATHLETICO MADRID WINGER {IGNACIO CAMACHO} A DEFENSIV PLAYER to replace FLAMINI LIKE {YAYA TOURE} AND A STRIKER LIKE {MARIO GOMEZ} THE ARSENAL TEAM NEXT SEASON WOULD BE: Gomes?-Sagna-Toure-Kompany?-Clichy-Ben Arfa?-Fabregas-Yaya Toure?- Rosicky-Adebajor-Villa? this eleven would be perfectly to try to all trophies next season..
by Dan Fox on May 11, 2008
Some players do need to be brought. However, buying every player under the sun just because they r good on football manager doesn’t mean they r goin 2 win trophies. Wenger looks at the dynamics of the squad and how the player will fit in. I just don’t know how u can say we r going 2 b out of the top 4 with the players we have. There was speculatio
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