Wenger Admits Hard-Up Gunners Are A Selling Club

zocoss

6 Jul 08, 22:35

WENGER`S FINANCIAL FRUSTRATION

Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal will probably have to sell their star players every year for nearly another two decades. The Arsenal boss is currently trying to persuade Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb not to follow Mathieu Flamini out of the club.

Adebayor has made it clear only a huge wage increase will persuade him to stay, but Wenger has revealed the ongoing cost of the move to the Emirates Stadium two years ago means, financially, his hands are tied.

"The strategy of the club is to sell every year and to buy less expensive players," he told the News of the World. "We manage at Arsenal to maintain all our football ambitions - national and European - while having to free up - for 17 more years - an annual surplus of £24million to pay for our stadium.

"The club's strategy is to favour the policy of youngsters ahead of stars and to count on the collective quality of our game." Wenger is frustrated by the financial power players have over clubs. "If I had the power to change anything basic in football, it would be the transfer system which makes mercenaries of players," he continued

"If they are bad ones, they stay and, if they are good, they think only of leaving. "I have fought for them to earn a very good living, but I impose respect for their contract upon them."

Agenda

6 Jul 08, 22:44

They sell star players every season, but can they come up with a quality replacement every season? Don't think there will be a Henry on the cheap every season eh?

Though might be mind-games on Arsenal's part here.

youyayu

6 Jul 08, 22:52

0.o

~b1RD_m4N~

7 Jul 08, 00:14

do they have a billionaire owner?

kramnave

7 Jul 08, 00:22

Originally posted by ~b1RD_m4N~:

do they have a billionaire owner?

dun have...but at the rate they are earning..and not spending..very soon they will have one...maybe a few..

~b1RD_m4N~

7 Jul 08, 00:24

Originally posted by kramnave:

dun have...but at the rate they are earning..and not spending..very soon they will have one...maybe a few..

clear case we see how important ownership contacts and money is important in football!

dinky1409

7 Jul 08, 22:50

nevertheless, their football is still one of the best to watch..

~b1RD_m4N~

7 Jul 08, 22:57

Originally posted by dinky1409:

nevertheless, their football is still one of the best to watch..

In EURO, Holland & Portugal's football is good to watch, but it doesnt take you to winning a trophy. Championships require style and good management and budget!

Spartans

7 Jul 08, 22:59

Where are the billionaire sugar daddies?

I dun care whether they are Russian, Americans or from Mars.

Just pump money into the club. Stop being a feeler club. Arsenal are too big to be a feeler club.

Arrgghhhh...

dinky1409

7 Jul 08, 23:36

sorry bro.. i have faith in good football.. its all about the spirit of the game.. whats the pt of winning trophies with boring football.. its a sport to begin with.. not all about fame and money..

brokenluv

8 Jul 08, 03:36

well i think they have showed the capability to be able to compete at the top with such a tight budget in my opinion

dragg

8 Jul 08, 09:28

i wonder why wenger chose to stay in spite of all these.

Trump_Card

8 Jul 08, 09:35

Arsenal needs a sugar daddy

the Bear

8 Jul 08, 09:38

Arsenal is actually playing it safe... they are looking at the extreme long-term..

imagine if Glazer decides he's had enough?

imagine if Abramovich decides to stop playing Championship Manager?

will they go the way Leeds went? probably...

the owners of Arsenal and Wenger are making sure they do not..

~b1RD_m4N~

8 Jul 08, 09:56

Originally posted by the Bear:

Arsenal is actually playing it safe... they are looking at the extreme long-term..

imagine if Glazer decides he's had enough?

imagine if Abramovich decides to stop playing Championship Manager?

will they go the way Leeds went? probably...

the owners of Arsenal and Wenger are making sure they do not..

good example! LEEDS UTD. we can track the downfall of leeds from EPL to 2nd division due to players leaving (i remember leeds used to be the starting point for alot of the good players now: Kewell, Viduka, Cantona, Ferdinand etc)

youyayu

8 Jul 08, 11:47

Originally posted by ~b1RD_m4N~:

good example! LEEDS UTD. we can track the downfall of leeds from EPL to 2nd division due to players leaving (i remember leeds used to be the starting point for alot of the good players now: Kewell, Viduka, Cantona, Ferdinand etc)

leeds its like another westham sell and sell and sell those talented but don't know how to keep them.. for leeds no idea wtf they are doing.. such a good squad but buy till to many players

zocoss

8 Jul 08, 11:52

Originally posted by the Bear:

Arsenal is actually playing it safe... they are looking at the extreme long-term..

imagine if Glazer decides he's had enough?

imagine if Abramovich decides to stop playing Championship Manager?

will they go the way Leeds went? probably...

the owners of Arsenal and Wenger are making sure they do not..

I doubt very much that the board are just playing it safe... The Board are just trying to spend as little as possible before they sell in 2 to 3 years time when their collective agreement not to sell ends...

Their former vice-chairman Dein already has another Russian billionaire waiting to buy them... And this guy knows how to run a football club. But the longer the board can hold out, the more they might get as the club value increase... The current Arsenal board is very realistic business wise. I get a feeling from their actions that football is not very near their top agenda... Increasing their club value and milking the most of it seems to be their main objective when they decided to sack Dein. They have the most expensive ticket, have no problems selling them, The board would probably milk it for another 2 yrs before letting it go.

Today, Clubs in the premiership won't go the way of Leeds anymore especially the top ones... With the money from the Tv deals, Its so appealing to many investors. If the Glazers had enough, they can always put the club up for sell and their investment in United will actually give them a nice profit too after covering the debts as the club is valued at between $900,000 to $1.2B.

Anyway, they seem to be long term investors... had they want to reduce their debts, they can easily sell 49% of their stake or put it back into the stock exchange and it will go a long way to reducing that debt.

Chelsea on the other hand is a little more tricky as it has been reveal that the money Roman put in is a loan from him and he expect the club to return it to him should he leave the club... The problem is can Chelsea sell for that kind of money without a worldwide fan base and marketing appeal? On top of that the super salary their players are getting? Who would want to take on such a big debt?

They already owe Roman more than half a billion and we can expect that sum to increase by another $100m when the transfer market close.

Arsenal's only chance is to wait for the current board to sell... Then they won't be a selling club anymore like what Wenger call them now...

reyes

8 Jul 08, 12:45

i support arsenal policy of buying within it means and not follow the example of man utd, chelsea, man city or liverpool to be own and control by a single person.

in my opinion, footballing world could be another subprime crisis in the making if the football club spent beyond it can afford.

i agree with the other writer, that if roman or thaksin are tired of football, he could turn chelsea bankrupt and end up like leeds utd.

worse still the club would lose it pride, heritage, history and end up being the toy, puppet of the billionaire!

today footballing market is all about top players. theyare paid crazy salary 50% for the footballing talent and 50% for the marketing appeal.

ronaldo is worth 70million? maybe 35 million for his skills and 35million real madrid intend to milk him for advertising revenue!