Transfer news: Arsene Wenger confident Arsenal will sign players with Yohan Cabaye, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria linked with club

The Gunners are yet to spend any money this summer

James Orr
Friday 23 August 2013 16:05 BST
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Arsene Wenger and targets Cabaye, Di Maria and Benzema
Arsene Wenger and targets Cabaye, Di Maria and Benzema (GETTY IMAGES)

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Arsene Wenger is confident that Arsenal can still make new signings before the transfer window closes on 2 September, and that his club remains a big draw for players, with the Gunners on the cusp on Champions League qualification for the 16th consecutive season.

The Frenchman has seen attempts to sign Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez, Luiz Gustavo, and Bernard end in failure this summer, while a £10m bid for Yohan Cabaye was rejected by Newcastle earlier this week. Real Madrid pair Karim Benzema and Angel di Maria have been reportedly targeted in a combined £70m transfer.

“Yes I'm confident that we'll make the signings we need because of the desire of the players to join us," he said.

"There's also the fact that while we maybe don't have as much money as everybody writes, we have some funds available to do transfers.”

Only one player has joined Arsenal so far in this transfer window, striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Auxerre, but Wenger revealed that the club have been working on bringing in new additions throughout the summer.

"We've worked on it very hard but it hasn't come off as quickly and as well as we wanted.

"You'd be surprised how early we acted. In our job you can spend a lot of time, not going on holiday and work on things without it coming off.

"In football you have to deal with any situation and be patient. As long as the window is open, anything can happen until the last minute."

The manager was full of praise for Mathieu Flamini, with the midfielder currently training with Arsenal after being released by Milan in June, but did not confirm whether he would re-sign the 29-year-old.

“He is just here to work on his fitness and he does that very well,' said Wenger.

“I don't say there's no chance and I don't say there is a chance [of signing him].”

Flamini is a free agent after leaving Milan, and made 153 appearances in four years for Arsenal between 2004 and 2008, including coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona in 2006. He won the Serie A with Milan in 2011, but missed the majority of the 2011/12 season with a knee injury.

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