The Gunners are off to the pre-season to Singapore but the transfer market is still abuzz with news, rumours and everything that’s flying left, right and center.
And the rumours kept following Arsene Wenger to the pre-season trip. Just as Morgan Schneiderlin signed for Manchester United, everyone started questioning if it was a loss for Wenger. The same thing that was on everyone’s mind when Raheem Sterling was poised to join money bags Manchester City.
Not surprisingly enough, Wenger was questioned by everyone on his admiration for Sterling. Liverpool accepted an offer of £49 million for the Merseyside winger. Wenger has always been public with his admiration for Sterling but not for his transfer fees.
Wenger believes that the transfer market is bloated and the fees is not indicative of the player ability but of the agents and clubs arm-twisting each other. The gaffer has his point. After all, Sterling will not have commanded such a price in a sane market.
Agreed that Sterling is a young English player and just coming from a good season. In fact, he was below average the season before. He still has to prove himself and probably that’s the reason why Wenger did not go for him. Wenger’s admiration for Sterling is public but he has Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and many more. And so Wenger may not be sad at losing out on Sterling.
He’s also looking to keep both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina in the squad despite Cech’s arrival. But, at the moment, it looks more likely that one of them will leave the club for more game time. Same thing can be said of the striker Yaya Sanogo.
The 22-year-old has yet to cement a place in the Gunners squad – let alone the starting XI. He moved to the club from Auxerre in 2013 and spent the last season on loan at Crystal Palace. Sanogo is left out of the squad for the pre-season tour and this was seen as an indication that he would be loaned out.
Ajax is talked about as a destination for Sanogo and it doesn’t sound bad at all. He would be working with the Gunners legend Dennis Bergkamp who is now the assistant manager at the Dutch club. Do not discount on Sanogo’s fortunes revived at the end of this season. It could be worth looking forward to.
Talking of players left out of the squad, Carl Jenkinson is close to rejoining West Ham United on another loan deal. The right-back had a good season with the Hammers but will be behind Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin. It’s always nice to get game time and hone your skills – even if it is on loan.
Sridhar