By Adebayo Williams
Arsenal’s Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis has told fans that the club will not be splashing the cash in the current transfer window. Gazidis, to the dismay of most fans, hinted that the signing of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka could be the last big signing of the season for the Gunners. The former Borussia Monchengladbach player joined the club in a £30 million deal in June.
Fans have expressed frustration at the club’s refusal to strengthen especially knowing that rivals Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City have all spent significant amounts to strengthen their teams. The fans were further angered when news filtered out that the management had over £100 million in reserves. Despite that, Wenger did not recruit a single outfield player last summer, buying goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea, and only added midfielder Mohamed Elneny from Basle during the January transfer window.
“This approach, for us, gives us a very, very powerful balance because it’s not just about spending money but about how you spend your money and doing it wisely,” Gazidis told ESPN.
“It’s about having a strong core philosophy and values within the club that players buy into and our fans can be proud of.
“These are all things that lead to success, and when you look at Arsenal over the last four or five years, there’s no question that the squad has been progressing in strength.
“We’ve got a squad now that we believe is capable of competing to win the Premier League. We came in second last year, which was disappointing. But we’re on the right track.
“We’re making progress in what is a fiercely competitive world, against competitors that have the capability to spend far more money than we do.
“We’re doing it by being very, very disciplined; spending money where we believe it makes a difference, but also giving young players a chance and believing in ourselves and our values.”
Arsenal have signed Japanese striker Takuma Asano from Sanfreece Hiroshimaas with Arsene Wenger describing him as “one for the future”. The forward, a 21-year-old is not expected to put French striker Olivier Giroud under any pressure for his spot. The Gunners are set to miss Alexis Sanchez and the Frenchman’s services in the opening week of the new Premier League season. Danny Welbeck, another attacking option is out with a nine-month injury.
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