Arsenal Transfer

Arsenal Transfer:Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he told Bordeaux star Marouane Chamakh: We have enough strikers and we don't need you

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he told Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh that he wasn't needed at Arsenal because the club already had enough attacking players.

The north London giants were strongly linked with the highly-rated Moroccan throughout the summer.

But Wenger has explained he didn't need the player, and also took a swipe at the way Bordeaux behaved during communications.
Marouane Chamakh

Not needed: Marouane Chamakh in action for Bordeaux against Auxerre on Saturday

He said: 'He’s a player I like, but I have too many attackers.

'Frankly, Bordeaux were not very classy towards me, they asked for too much money and I would not pay a lot.'

Speaking to L’Equipe magazine, Wenger added: 'I even called Chamakh to tell him: "listen, Eduardo has just come back and I don’t want to buy you and play you on the bench."'
Arsene Wenger

Pointing the way forward: Arsene Wenger watched his side beat Birmingham on Saturday

Wenger's side resume their Champions League campaign in Holland against AZ Alkmaar on Tuesday night.

Theo Walcott is extremely doubtful for the match after picking up a knee injury during Saturday's Premier League clash with Birmingham.

Arsenal News:Why Arsenal should be lauded, not criticised

Why Arsenal should be lauded, not criticised

As the world's financial markets finally begin to bottom out, what can be learned from the experience of football?

Before that question can be answered it is worth looking at the financial climate in football first. With this brings the question; has football at the top level known there's been a recession at all?

Aston Villa have found new wealth and been keen to spend it, not often a sign of a recession, nor is the spending of Manchester City; Mark Hughes is rapidly resembling a child let loose on Football Manager with the unlimited money cheat.

His work is put in the shade by Real Madrid, whose £200 million plus spending goes strangely unmentioned by Sepp Blatter. Interestingly, but hardly surprisingly their total debt has risen to £200 million in the last year alone.

The selling of Ronaldo apart, Manchester United continue to add to their squad, with 2 new Serbians, Antonio Valencia and Berbatov amongst the recent, expensively assembled additions.

Everton are a club that plead poverty, and their fans regularly ask for greater investment. Their spending over the last 18 months has climbed to over £30 million. Similarly their neighbours Liverpool have a manager who is keen to point to how well he is doing with such 'limited' resources. These limited resources have seen him spend an average net outlay of £11 million a season. Second only to Chelsea in the Abramovich era, and higher that Manchester United.

The £7 million spent for what was essentially a 6 month, 19 game loan for Robbie Keane was a highlight, and indeed Tottenham could take credit for such business, were it not conducted at the same time as they bought back Jermaine Defoe for a 300% mark up on what they sold him to Portsmouth for a year earlier.

Newcastle United, so routinely hammered by the media for their fiscal frivolities, seem too easy a target to point out. In short football at the top level acts as if the world is in a golden age, all whilst clubs at the bottom level are crippled by debt from lower attendances.

All this happens yet Arsenal are routinely chastised for not spending beyond their means. The world's crisis was caused by, amongst other things, short selling and people taking on credit they couldn't afford, something Arsenal have refused to do.

With footballer's as today's heroes and the clubs as modern churches is it not fair to expect them to deal as though they have some influence on those that follow them? Young people increasingly use football, not simply as an escape, but as something to look up to.

The message from football is clear; the only way to make it to the top and stay there is to gamble everything you've already achieved and earned and hope a few results go your way. The kind of thinking that got the world into this mess in the first place.

During all the chaos Arsenal continue to operate in a way that shows success is achievable through developing your resources, investing wisely and not spending beyond means, all whilst living an exciting and entertaining life.

Let's hope young people, and more importantly the banks, take note

Written by Lewis Wright on Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Arsenal Football News:Juventus on Arsenal Defender Bacary Sagna

Juventus on Arsenal Defender Bacary Sagna

Oct 13, 2009 9:22:18 AM

Juventus have laid eyes on Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna as they draw up plans for the right side of their defence.

According to Tuttosport, Sagna is on top of the hit-list at Vinovo and director Alessio Secco is reportedly very keen to land him.

The Gunners man has all the qualities Secco is looking for in Turin with his experience and defensive prowess, but he is unlikely to be cheap.

It is said that Arsene Wenger could consider a sale, but the price is likely to scare off the Bianconeri. With that in mind, Juve are also looking at alternatives.

Hamburg's Jerome Boateng, who is wanted by Jose Mourinho, and Hoffenheim's Andreas Beck have also been mooted in Turin.

Despite the report, Juventus have not confirmed their interest in any of the players.

Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com