Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger 'Not Confident' of Signings, Latest Rumours

Arsenal supporters hoping their team will make a late foray into the transfer market before Tuesday’s deadline look set to be disappointed, as manager Arsene Wenger admitted on Thursday that the club are unlikely to add any more new faces to the squad.

The Frenchman was speaking ahead of his team’s clash against Newcastle United this weekend and insisted that they’re a long way off finalising any deals, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

It’s news that’ll come as a major blow to the Arsenal faithful, who have watched their side struggle to four points from their opening three games. Although Petr Cech is a quality addition between the sticks, there’s no doubt that some fresh faces in the outfield positions would give everyone a massive lift at the Emirates Stadium.

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Wenger did admit he has targets, though. Italian football journalist Emanuele Giulianelli tried to shed some light on where the Gunners might strengthen:

Defensive midfielders are scarce in this squad. Francis Coquelin has showcased real promise in this position since being drafted into the team, but he is still raw and still Arsenal’s only top-quality option in this particular segment of the squad.

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In the likely event of his suspension or if he picks up an injury, there’s no player capable of filling the void that the Frenchman would leave. As we can see via Squawka Football, Coquelin is a massive defensive presence in front of the back four:

The other area Arsenal supporters are calling out to be strengthened is at the point of the attack. There have been links with various high-profile centre-forwards throughout the summer, most notably Karim Benzema and Edinson Cavani, per the Mirror (h/t Jack De Menezes of the Independent), but nothing tangible has materialised yet.

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Olivier Giroud is the club’s current first-choice forward, and while he’s a fantastic foil for Arsenal’s cultured attacking midfielders, he doesn’t have the kind of dynamism that the aforementioned pair possess.

Arsenal expert SamuelJayC thinks that while it’s clear the Gunners do need a new forward, there is a scarcity of quality ones about:

Perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into Wenger’s comments. After all, late in the transfer window in the summer of 2013, he shocked the football firmament with the audacious capture of Mesut Ozil. While that deal did stray from his usual modus operandi, there’s no doubt a purchase of similar stature would do plenty to enrich this Arsenal team.

But despite the rumours and the hyperbole, it’s very tough to get deals done so late in the summer. The Gunners may have to pay a little over the odds if any genuine targets are to come in now, but if it’s a deal that could expedite a charge to the Premier League’s summit, a late spree would be worth any inflated outlay.