Generally speaking, talk is cheap. Unless of course, we’re talking about the ridiculous amounts of money that are being thrown around to grown men who kick a football for a living. There have been endless rumours circulating about which players Arsenal will be signing or at least bidding on during the current transfer window, but other than one minor transaction, all’s quiet on the Emirates front.
Now it seems like everybody from Pele to Lionel Messi has been linked with a move to Arsene Wenger’s side, but there’s no point paying attention to any of them until a contract has officially been signed. And so far, Wenger has managed to lure just a single player over to London in Yaya Sanogo. If you’ve never heard of him then join the club. He’s listed as a striker for the French Under-20 team and comes to us courtesy of France’s Ligue 2 side Auxerre.
He played for his nation at the recent Under-20 World Cup over in Turkey and supposedly joined Arsenal on a free transfer as his previous contract had just expired. Sanogo played just 13 matches for his club side last season and lit it up by scoring 10 goals in them, but managed just one in 11 during the previous campaign. But let’s face it, he’s still a work in progress and not a proven player. Of course he could become a future star in the Premier League or he could turn out to be a flop like our friend Gervinho.
Basically, Wenger has talked a big game when it comes to new signings, but he hasn’t delivered as of yet. It appears he’s ready to dip his short arms into his deep pockets though as he reportedly bid 30 million pounds for Liverpool’s problem-child striker Luis Suarez. However, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers turned it down and the Uruguayan, who’s under contract until 2018, is still sulking on Merseyside.
But why would Wenger want to risk signing Suarez in the first place? He’s proven to be nothing but trouble wherever he’s played and the Gunners don’t need somebody to upset the apple cart. Yes they do need somebody to fill the net with goals, but Suarez is likely to cause more trouble than he’s worth. Also, he’s blaming the British press for all of his problems, so do you really think Suarez wants to play in London where he’ll be under the microscope more than he is now?
We’ve heard the names of Gonzalo Higuain, Marouane Fellaini, Suarez and even Wayne Rooney over and over again during the offseason, but Wenger has pulled a fast one on everybody by signing the 20-year-old striker Sanogo. There’s still a long way to go in the transfer window though and more players could be brought in and shipped out by the time the end of August rolls around. By last count, Wenger has released and loaned out a total of 12 players. But that’s another story for another day.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
