Strange things are happening

By: travis | July 6th, 2008

With it being the silly season and all, it’s hard to think of things to write about. So re-hashing the same transfer rumors does me just right. Moving away from that is easy to do when the boss comes out to say that Arsenal will sell its players for the next two decades to pay for their stadium. This causes even your casual fans to do a curious head tilt, followed by a wtf Wenger?-type reaction. That was my original action, until I actually read what Wenger supposedly said:

“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.”

Yes, it is concerning for him to say something like that. However, that doesn’t mean that every season a star player will be sold - something that many headlines have twisted his words into. Does that mean contending with the likes of Chelski, Man Yoo, and Liverpool more difficult? Probably. As evidenced from last season, injuries and lack of experience hindered the title run. Peter Hill-Wood, in an article reporting that Arsenal will hold onto Adebayor, laments the financial situation in the transfer market:

“I’m afraid that’s the way of the world. “It’s annoying, but it is modern football. The idea that you are going to have a number of your team playing for you for 15 years, as one used to have, has disappeared. It makes it harder for the manager, but he is fully aware of what is happening.”

As disconcerting as it is to see things like this happening to the club, it’s a relief to know that the higher ups recognize what is going on. They aren’t bumbling idiots, after all. And maybe, just maybe, that will force them to bring in a foreign backer (please no Usmanov).

Wenger can only do so much to make players respect him, and their contract to the club. If someone like Adebayor isn’t satisfied with £2m a year, he can get stuffed. Arsenal can make a nice tidy profit off of him.

It’s only a matter of time before these situations are resolved. But in the meantime, links to a bidding war between Man U and us for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have surfaced. That’ll most likely depend on how the Adebayor situation unfolds. The Telegraph says that we’re in the lead to land Arshavin. Thanks, but no thanks. Any player who won’t play for his current club until he’s transferred is not welcome. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds.