Wenger cancels summer holiday to rebuild squad as three key stars face boot
Published 23:05 04/06/11 By Steve Stammers
Arsene Wenger has cancelled his summer holiday to mastermind the overhaul of his Arsenal squad.
Three key members of the first team scene will be on their way during the close season.
The biggest fee will be generated by the departure of Cesc Fabregas.
The 24-year-old Gunners captain was head-hunted by Barcelona a year ago, but Wenger persuaded the midfield star to stay.
But if the new European champions come in with an offer of around £40 million, Arsenal will find it difficult to resist.
Fabregas has made no secret of his ambition to return to the club where he started his career, and from where Arsenal signed him as a teenager.
Fabregas has been the first to acknowledge the part Arsenal have played in his development. He admitted after he made his first team debut as a 16-year-old that he would have had no such opportunity had he stayed at the Nou Camp.
But Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola is anxious to strengthen his own outfit and feels this is the time to get Fabregas back.
Wenger wants to keep the player but accepts that if Fabregas pushes to move back to his native Catalunya, there is little point resisting.
The next superstar heading towards the Emirates exit is Samir Nasri.
Talks about a new deal for the midfield player remain in deadlock. He has one year left on his contract and Arsenal will not allow the agreement to run down further – that would mean the France star would become eligible for a free transfer.
Arsenal will recall paying the price of seeing Mathieu Flamini depart on a Bosman free transfer three years ago.
Both Real Madrid and Manchester City are keen on Nasri, whose contract status means that he would command a cut-price fee of around £10m.
Arsenal would prefer to sell Nasri to Real Madrid if he rejects their own offer – rather than see him embellish rivals City’s formidable squad.
There could also be a move for Andrey Arshavin. The Russian striker joined for £15m from Zenit St Petersburg two years ago and featured regularly last season for Arsenal.
But his form has been erratic and he has been accused of drifting in and out of matches.
Arshavin’s inconsistency has infuriated many fans and if there is a buyer who will allow Arsenal to re-coup most of their outlay, then they will be tempted to listen.
The exit of that trio would give Wenger in excess of £50m to spend on new players. And the Frenchman’s clear determination to rejuvenate his squad is reflected in his decision to put his own extended summer holiday on indefinite hold.
Wenger did spend the first five days after the end of the season with his family in France.
But he will now spend the rest of the close season working hard to finalise the ins and outs at the Emirates – as he looks to assemble a squad that will finally end the Gunners’ trophy drought that goes back to the 2005 FA Cup.
Who's in and who's out in Arsenal's great summer shake up? Find out here
