Arsene Wenger closing in on the perfect window
Defender Shkodran Mustafi and forward Lucas Perez arrived in London for medicals yesterday as the Gunners took their close-season spending beyond £100m.
Wenger joked he is “scared” of the total sum that Arsenal seem certain to spend.
“I always told you it’s not a question of numbers. It’s ‘Do you have the money to spend it?’,” he said.
“That is the first question. And after, ‘Do you make sure that you spend it well?’.
“And I think when I told you the transfer is linked of course with talent, the expected strength, but as well with resale.
“When you buy a player of 24 you can always get your money back.”
Wenger brushed off any claims Lucas, who appeared set for a move to Everton before Arsenal rekindled an interest they seemed to have lost earlier in the month, was in any way a panic buy to appease the fans.
“Look at my face, is it the face of somebody who does a panic buy? No. I try to make the decision,” Wenger said.
Unlike the summer-long pursuit of Mustafi, the interest in Lucas has only just resurfaced. But after scoring 17 goals for Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga last season, the Spaniard is being earmarked by Wenger for a role through the middle.
“He is a late developer, he played in a different position,” Wenger said of the 27-year-old.
“He moved centrally in a successful way. I think he has good link-up qualities, good finishing qualities. Let’s see if we can finish the job.”
The deal for Mustafi has been on the cards for some time but Valencia have played hard-ball, wanting the best possible fee for their captain.
Wenger admits to frustration the move could not be sealed quicker but, once it is sewn up, he believes the Germany international will complete what Arsenal were looking to achieve in the window.
The Frenchman explained: “This season I thought we had the most easy transfer window ever because we knew what we wanted and who we wanted and it didn’t come off, so you have to restart.
“When you restart, when you handle some leagues they are (on) holiday, there was the European Championships and nothing happened, you couldn’t find anybody.
“He (Mustafi) was their captain. If we get it done, we get what we wanted.”
Watford’s new signings Daryl Janmaat, Younes Kaboul and Roberto Pereyra are in contention to feature today at Vicarage Road, with Walter Mazzarri expected to recall much of the team that last weekend lost 2-1 to Chelsea, after ringing the changes in the 2-1 EFL Cup defeat by Gillingham.
