The 2016/17 season is touted to be one of the best ever in Premier League history considering the fact that we have the likes of Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte to name a few as managers of various top PL clubs. Hence Arsene Wenger will have his task cut out for the following season.
Arsenal manager Wenger has so far signed Swiss midfielder and former Borussia Monchengladbach captain Granit Xhaka (£30m), Japanese forward and Sanfreece Hiroshima star Takuma Asano (£1.5m) and English defender Rob Holding (£2m).
As things stand, the Xhaka transfer involves the biggest individual fee paid out by an English club in the close season, although Manchester United could yet break the world record to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford, and Wenger is expected to add further players to his squad following last season’s second-place finish.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Wenger emphasized on various transfer strategies. Recently rumors were circulated on various news outlets that Arsene Wenger was one of the managers who was offered the England job.
However Wenger has refused to be drawn on reports he was offered the England manager’s job added:
“I wouldn’t like to comment on names because after if we don’t get them, people ask why. We are very active and if we find the right candidates, we will spend the big money.”
“We have already spent big and, until now, nobody has made a bigger transfer than we have in the country. Even if Pogba might fly from Italy to England, I don’t know, but overall we have made a big investment already and we are active.”
“I believe we are active, very are active every day, and it’s not over. Today we are in July and the transfer market finishes on August 31.”
“A lot happens many times in the last week so it’s a long time to go but we are active, we are working.”
Among the three, the only recognized signing 23-year old Xhaka mainly plays as an advanced central midfielder and can drop back as a defensive midfielder if the need occurs.
He proved his defensive abilities in the recently concluded Euro 2016 where he won the man of the match award in the first two group games against Albania and Romania. 21-year old Asano, on the other hand, came to notice on the international stage when he impressed during the club world cup 2015 in Japan where his side Sanfreece Hiroshima finished third. He will represent Japan in the Rio Olympics next month.
For the time being he might feature in the U21 Premier league for Arsenal or be sent out on loan to lower English divisions to gain experience and in 2 or 3 years time might be pushed up to the first team depending on his progress.
Finally, the youngest of the three signings is 20-year old Holding who mainly plays as a centre-back for Bolton but can also play as a full-back. He is Calum Chambers’ teammate in the England U21 squad. He also similar to Asano was bought as a future prospect. He falls under the homegrown bracket as well. Hence he is definitely one for the future.
Thus in the midst of an inflated transfer market, Wenger along with the Arsenal management are trying to make certain ‘super’ signings who will propel us to Premier League glory after a long gap of 13 years.
