Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Arsenal will not be renewing their interest in either Yohan Cabaye or Luis Suarez this month.
The Gunners coach spent much of last summer trying to lure Suarez from Liverpool, and made at least one offer for his signature. Brendan Rodgers, though, simply refused to entertain the idea of letting go of his star striker, who was said to be keen on the move but has since settled to enjoy a sensational season at the Anfield club.
As they push for a top-four finish, the 26-year-old has scored 18 goals already this term, a statistic made all the more remarkable by the fact he sat out the first five games of the campaign through suspension. And he has outlined he is now happy on Merseyside by signing a new contract which ties him to the club until 2018.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean he will definitely remain at Liverpool for the next four years, but it is highly unlikely he will leave anytime soon. And when asked if he has now abandoned his plans to sign the forward to bolster his Emirates Stadium side, Wenger replied: “Yes of course. There won’t be any approach, no.”
Another player the Gunners tried to sign ahead of the current season is Cabaye. Newcastle United were angered when a bid was made on the eve of the campaign, and even more so when it turned the midfielder’s head in the direction of London. Like Suarez, the French ace has since settled at his current club, and appears to have won over the fans.
Midfield is no longer considered to be a problem for Arsenal, due to the impressive form of Aaron Ramsey and, of course, the club record £42.5million arrival of German playmaker Mesut Ozil. So when asked if Cabaye would still be considered in January, Wenger replied: “On Yohan Cabaye, we will not look for a midfielder.”
Whilst most Gunners fans acknowledge they perhaps need another striker to support Olivier Giroud if they are to win a first Premier League title since 2004, it remains to be seen who Wenger can find who is reasonably priced and is also eligible for the UEFA Champions League, a competition they resume next month against Bayern Munich.
The French coach certainly hopes to find someone who could make the difference between adding to the honours list and missing out for what would be a ninth successive year, and he assured fans: “If something special turns up, we will not turn it down.”
