Arsene Wenger will bolster his Arsenal squad in the summer, according to David Dein.
The Gunners have now gone eight years since they last added to their honours list, and many fans believe Wenger’s apparent reluctance to spend big is the main reason for such a drought. This has been particularly hard to take for the Emirates Stadium faithful, as a lack of progress on the pitch has also seen the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri depart.
It has been suggested that the French coach has money to spend, but has opted against going head-to-head with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, who seemingly have a bottomless pit of cash. However, former Arsenal vice-chairman Dein, who remains a close friend of Wenger, believes this is about to change in the summer when some big-name players will arrive at the club.
“The fact is he has to strengthen the team and I know he will do that,” Dein told The Sun. “He is one of the best managers in the world, he’s been coaching for 30 years and knows what he is doing. He knows what he wants and it’s just a question of identifying the right talent.”
Who Wenger decides to go for when the window reopens depends largely on their finishing position in the Premier League. It was reported in The Mirror last month that he has an ‘A’ list of targets if they qualify for the UEFA Champions League, and a back-up plan if they fail to secure a top-four position and are instead playing in the UEFA Europa League next term.
Of the ‘A’ list, it is believed Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic, rated in the region of £25million, is the main target. The Montenegro international has also been heavily linked with a move to City, but Wenger is said to be having the 23-year-old watched on a weekly basis this season.
A new right back could also be high on the agenda if Bacary Sagna, down to the final 12 months of his contract this summer, leaves the capital. 23-year-old Holland international Daryl Janmaat, currently of Eredivisie side Feyenoord, is thought to have made the shortlist in recent weeks.
Etienne Capoue, the 6ft 2in France and Toulouse defensive midfielder, is also a reported target, whilst a goalkeeper to challenge Wojciech Szczesny could also be a priority. Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic and Barcelona’s Victor Valdes are the names being mooted to fill this position.
