Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Expects More Deals, Snubbed Raheem Sterling

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is "hoping" to add further players to his squad after the summer signing of goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea.

Speaking during a Singapore-based press conference ahead of the Gunners' participation in the Barclays Asia Trophy, Wenger also confirmed he refrained from putting in a bid for Liverpool's Raheem Sterling because his squad is adequately stacked with versatile wingers who can also play through the centre.

When asked if he will pursue further deals after Cech, Wenger replied, "That doesn't depend only on us, it depends on whether we can find them, but if we can find one or two players we will do it," reported by the club's official website.

"It depends, if we find ideally what we want, we are still hoping to do something else," continued the Frenchman.

Bogdan Maran/Associated Press

Sterling is set to sign for Manchester City after Liverpool accepted a £49 million bid for his services, reported by BBC Sport. Arsenal were linked with his signature on numerous occasions, but Wenger has revealed he never tabled an offer for the Englishman's services, per the north London club's website:

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(On Sterling's move to City) It looked a done deal for a while, because Sterling said he wanted to leave. For me Sterling is a top-class player. It's a good buy for Man City. An expensive one, but they can afford it.

Personally I like him. I didn't make a bid because he plays in an area where we have plenty of players. We have (Danny) Welbeck, (Theo) Walcott, (Alex Oxlade-)Chamberlain. (Alexis) Sanchez, (Jack) Wilshere can play there, (Serge) Gnabry. He's a wide player basically, or behind the striker.

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City also possess a number of quality players in this area, as highlighted by Sky Sports:

Arsenal are currently linked with a host of new signings, including Napoli duo Jose Callejon and Faouzi Ghoulam, reported by Sport Mediaset (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) and Le10Sport (h/t Metro), respectively.

Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports believes a bid for a third Napoli player has gone in:

Wenger is said to be in a battle with Chelsea for Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz, reported by Steve Morgan and Tony Stenson of the Daily Star (h/t ESPN FC). Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, Aranguiz's international team-mate, is also among the names who continue to crop up, reported by Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Anthony Chapman of the Express).

It is entirely likely all of these rumours are a product of the transfer window's "silly season," but these are the types of names being linked to the side who finished third in the Premier League last term. B/R UK's Andy Brassell recently discussed others potential captures:

With Arsenal already on tour, it seems Wenger is willing to think long and hard about how he can improve his squad. He must prioritise world-class talent and those who can bring unique qualities to the Emirates Stadium.

Morgan Schneiderlin—who was linked with the club and signed for Manchester United on Monday, per the Red Devils' website—would have been perfect. A physical, ambitious defensive midfielder is needed as an alternative to Francis Coquelin.

Similarly, Wenger would do well to find a striker who can bag 20 Premier League goals each season. Olivier Giroud remains inconsistent, placing much of the goalscoring burden on Sanchez and those behind the forward line.

Although Theo Walcott finished last season with a flurry, he has scored over 10 domestic goals only once in nine years since joining the club, per Transfermarkt.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Wenger must avoid spending just for the sake of adding numbers, though. He needs genuine game-changers in the vein of Sanchez and Mesut Ozil—players who make rival clubs stand up and take notice. Sterling would have marked Arsenal's ambition, but Wenger can find players who are primed to deliver for a smidgen of the price.

Cech is a fantastic start to business for the club. However, if Arsenal are going to challenge for the Premier League title, Wenger must continue to unearth players who can instantly make a positive difference to results.