adminLONDON. — Arsenal are ready to spend £200million in the next window to fix their squad — and Arsene Wenger will be the man splashing the cash.
Manager Wenger is still expected to be in charge when the summer transfer dealing starts, despite the increasingly bitter fan backlash, as the Gunners prepare for the biggest revolution of his 21-year reign.
A dismal 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday put another big dent in the Gunners’ Champions League qualification hopes and brought renewed calls for Wenger to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.
But instead he is close to signing up for another two years.
The 67-year-old is already working on his summer plans and could end up cashing in on Mesut Ozil , who has stalled on a £280 000-a-week contract offer, and Jack Wilshere , who is a £20m target for West Ham, while Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all interested in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Olivier Giroud has become fed-up at being a bit-part player this season and David Ospina, Lucas Perez and a raft of squad players could all go too to free up additional cash on top of the approximately £100m already set aside for transfers in the next window.
Ozil is growing increasingly frustrated and, despite his public protestations otherwise, could push to leave if he feels Wenger staying will mean that Arsenal won’t undergo enough of an overhaul to become competitive for the major trophies.
Alexis Sanchez has been a target for Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, but there is a feeling he is ready to give it one more year — especially as that may mean him becoming a free-agent at the end of next season. — The Mirror.
Online Reporter