What Arsenal fans and the football media normally get from Arsene Wenger on the subject of possible Arsenal transfer targets is a dismissive quip if not a downright fib, especially when the season is in progress and there is not even a transfer window open.
So I am looking at what the boss was reported by Arsenal.com as saying on the matter in his press conference yesterday with great interest. There have been a lot of Arsenal transfer rumours recently linking us with the summer signing of the Switzerland international midfielder Granit Xhaka from the German Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach and so the manager was asked specifically about it.
Not only did Wenger refuse to deny his interest in the player, he even suggested that work on transfers may already be going on behind the scenes. He also dropped a hint about the Gunners being in the market for a few new players in the summer transfer window with his talk of there already being a list.
When asked about Xhaka and then if the midfielder was on the list the Frenchman replied, “At the moment we are starting to analyse players and get little lists of names, but I don’t think it’s the time for us to come out with names.
“I will send you the list if you want!”
What do you make of this unusual admission from the Arsenal boss? Has he realised that the Arsenal fans will not settle for another summer with no or not enough major signings?