It’s not been an easy few years for Arsenal in the transfer market whose fans have, on more than one occasion, had to endure their team whimpering out of big money deals, and Wenger’s most recent admission certainly won’t do much to improve their mood.
The Frenchman, who is now enjoying a relatively stress-free life away from the ‘Wenger Out’ banners, was recently recorded discussing his desire to sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho (source: beIN Sports Twitter).
“I wanted to take him from Manchester City when he didn’t get the games, I tried as well to lure him,” he told beIN Sports on Wednesday night.
But it seems money was a major sticking point in the deal (again).
The former boss went on to discuss the huge wage bills young players demand before proving themselves in the first-team, and although he didn’t explicitly mention it in the interview – not list this segment of it – it’s obvious that he, or the club, was unwilling to satisfy the player’s demands.
Probably a bad decision in retrospect.
The former Manchester City winger has already contributed 8 goals and 13 assists this season and looks set to lead Borussia Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title since 2012.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are hovering just outside the top four in the Premier League and look seriously in need of another player who could make a difference in the big games. Games they tend to lose. A lot.
However, this isn’t the first player Wenger has claimed he’s tried to sign. Sancho joins a long list of now quality talents who, at any given point in their careers, have been on the radar of Wenger. Indeed, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (via FourFourTwo) are also said to be on his nearly list, making pretty gutting reading for the Gunners faithful.
It seems even after his departure, Wenger is prepared to trot out this tired old line and it must be gutting for the Arsenal fans who just want to move on into an exciting new era.
Either he’s desperately unlucky, a victim of his boardroom’s unwillingness to spend, or a liar.
What do you think Arsenal fans?