Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Not to Blame for Transfer Exodus

After watching several high-profile players walk away from Emirates over the past two summers, it's human nature for fans of Arsenal to look for somebody to blame. Longtime manager Arsene Wenger should not be near the top of that list, however.

Even though Wenger would be an easy target since he's up front in the negotiations, his hands are often tied late in the process due to player demands or financial issues far beyond his control. He's often left with no choice but to accept the best offer on the table.

While some supporters would view that as an excuse, it's reality. Managers often don't have nearly as much input as it would appear on the surface, especially for teams that have to monitor their finances closely like the Gunners.

Wenger said as much in recent comments when asked about the troublesome transfer situation following Robin van Persie's move to Manchester United, based on a report from ESPN:

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It's has been so frustrating to see a young player come to Arsenal, make their Premier League debut with us, prove themselves to be top players and then go somewhere else. My judgment on them was proved to be right, but another team is getting the benefit.

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The 62-year-old boss went on to talk about players from outside of England, whom he believes have higher tendencies to change clubs as opposed to more localized talent. It's something he has started taking into account while rebuilding the roster.

When you look at the players Arsenal has lost just over the past two summer windows, it's hard to blame Wenger for being dismayed. He basically lost what amounts to the entire foundation of a squad in the blink of an eye.

It started last year when Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were all moved. That alone would have been bad enough. The Gunners were able to rebound and have a respectable season without them, which helped the optimism return.

Wenger did a nice job bulking up the roster this year, adding Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla to increase the team's attacking options while the Van Persie saga continued to twist and turn.

But within the last two weeks, Van Persie and Alex Song were sent to Manchester United and Barcelona, respectively, further increasing the total number of key players now playing for other clubs.

The fact that Arsenal has begun the season with back-to-back scoreless draws certainly hasn't helped Wenger's cause. And the offense will likely continue to struggle until the additions can settle into their new roles in the coming weeks.

All told, it's a frustrating time for Arsenal supporters. There are still some talented young players on the squad, such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it will be hard not to think about him leaving at some point after all the recent departures.

It wouldn't be fair to blame Wenger for everything that's happened, though.

The transfer market isn't fair, and the Gunners have found that out the hard way recently.