This summer transfer period is going to be an important turning point in Wenger’s career. Even though he is Arsenal’s most successful manager and has been with the club for such a long time, some fans are starting to question his methods and criticize the team’s lack of achievement. It seems that the match against Bayern Munich was a bit of a wake-up call for the Frenchman who came out and said he did not expect such a big gap between the two teams and that it is probably time for some serious investments in the playing squad.
Even though Wenger has not been a big spender in recent seasons, it looks like the end of this season will bring some big names to Emirates Stadium. The hunger for success means that Wenger will be looking to sign some ready made stars as opposed to signing younger players and developing them.
It seems that some good may come out of Wenger’s take on football regarding transfers and investments, when many other teams struggle to find funds to cover regular operating expenses, Arsenal are making a profit. After finishing with the Emirates Stadium debt, they are sitting on some serious cash that should finally change the Gunners’ approach in the next transfer window.
One of the first targets Wenger will probably insist on bringing to Emirates Stadium, is Spanish striker David Villa who is almost certainly going to leave Camp Nou at the end of this season. Some sport publications even predicted a bid for Atletico superstar Radamel Falcao after Wenger’s recent tongue-in-cheek statements but it is hard to believe Arsenal will really want to battle teams such as Chelsea, Manchester City or Real for his signature.
The fact that the club sacrificed their trophy winning ability in favor of financial stability was pointed out by chairman Peter Hill-Wood who said it is hard to choose between having all the glory or having economic strength and independence. In other statements, he implied that some of the money will be invested in current players, in order to avoid situations such as Robin Van Persie’s transfer to rivals Manchester United.
The end of the season will also bring a new contract with Emirates which will give the Gunners a massive £150 million capital injection that will no longer serve to simply repay bank loans. The money will be invested in footballers and in winning some trophies that have been missing for the past 8 years.