Football
Miguel Delaney 9y

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal will try to sign a defensive player in January

Arsene Wenger stated that Arsenal will try and secure one remaining key signing in January, as he spoke at the club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday.

The 64-year-old Frenchman said he attempted to sign "one more" in the summer window, but that the club will attempt to make amends in January.

"We have done remarkably well in transfer window," Wenger said. "We tried to buy one more, a defender, but we didn't find one. But we will try to rectify that in January."

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis meanwhile again scotched ideas that the club are simply sitting on their transfer budget, but stressed that cash is available to further strengthen the squad.

"It is simply not the case that we are hoarding a vast cash balance for some unspecified reason," Gazidis said.

"We always have to keep cash in reserve to comply with debt calculations. Most of the remaining cash after that is needed to run the club across the season, including player wages.

"We do try to keep further amounts of cash available for investment in the team. We try not to disclose that amount, because it would be uncompetitive."

Wenger meanwhile defended Arsenal from two recent criticisms, stating their injury record is merely the consequence of the World Cup, while the bad "batterings" they suffered at the feet of rivals such as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City were "paradoxical" to the rest of their season form. 

"We have been hit hard by injuries again but, for me, they are post-World Cup injuries," he added. "Not soft-tissue injuries, accidental ones."

On the heavy defeats suffered, Wenger said: "It was paradoxical. We were remarkably consistent but, when we lost we lost... we got battered. We kept 17 clean sheets.

"Today, if you lose the first goal in a big game, you have 85 percent of getting beaten. That's a statistic."

Chairman Sir Chips-Keswick meanwhile defended the fee paid from Arsenal to Stan Kroenke's sports company in the US.

"The three million pound fee was proposed by myself and Lord Harris in respect of a wide range of services offered by Kroenke Sports Enterprises.

"They have an extensive experience and it is of upmost important that we use it to our best advantage. There was no competitive tender -- they were available to us, so competitive tender was not needed. We are entirely satisfied. In terms of future fees, it will depend on the services provided."

Kroenke's son Josh, was also proposed to the board.

"Josh Kroenke has a chief executive role in basketball, ice hockey and soccer teams in the US. He has a background playing basketball and football. He has knowledge and insight at the disposal of Arsenal.

"We are fortunate to have him -- he will help us accelerate our plans. His appointment underlines the longer-term commitment to the club from Stan Kroenke."

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