Arsene Wenger claims that he had to sell Arsenal’s best players ‘every year’ in order to balance the books while the Emirates Stadium was being paid for.
The Gunners suffered through an extended period of being a selling club as they initiated their move to the new stadium, and had to sell a number of their star players in successive seasons during that time.
Jurgen Klopp yesterday conceded the Premier League title, despite only 24 matches having been played, and 42 points still available with only 13 points between themselves and the top of the table.
Wenger was speaking on BeinSports after the match, and he didn’t disagree with Klopp’s decision to rule themselves out of the title race, but claims that you simply have to do the best with what is available to you, comparing his final years at Arsenal to that of his Liverpool counterpart.
Wenger told BeinSports Premier League coverage: “Sell a player I didn’t want to? Many times, but for financial reasons…
“Of course (Arsenal would have gone under without selling players). I did (deals) every year. We had to pay the stadium back at the time, we had to be in the top four. We needed to pay our mortgage back…
“It was a different period. We just listened to Jurgen Klopp in the shock of a defeat, but at the end of the day he has to make the maximum potential of his team until the end of the season.
“That’s what I did at the start of a season. I knew we did not have the potential anymore to win the championship, but we wanted to at least be on target to be in the top four…
“I accepted this challenge and I think it’s a period that I worked at the most efficient and best for the club. It is what you leave behind that is important.
“Today the stadium is paid off, Arsenal can invest money and hopefully win championships again.”
Does Klopp’s situation have any similarities to that of Wenger’s final years? Am I missing the connection?
Patrick