English Premier League: Wenger Aware of Arsenal's New Label as "Feeder Club"

Arsene Wenger has expressed his fear that Arsenal are in danger of becoming a club that nurtures top-class young talent only for their rivals to swoop them up once they've reached their prime.

Known for steadfast reliance upon building his side through youth development rather than splashing cash in the transfer market, it appears that Wenger has realized that his policy—which has delivered no silverware since 2005—may have failed.

The 61-year-old Frenchman has carved a reputation for spotting premier teenage footballing talent around the world, and then moulding them into some of the best players in Europe.

Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry—both relative unknowns when brought into the club in their early twenties—proved to be two of the first successful returns on Wenger's youth policy.

Cesc Fabregas (brought in at 16) and Samir Nasri (20)—are latest examples of Wenger's ideal of building a successful side without plunging into crippling debt.

Stubborn to the last, Wenger cannot help but concede that his echoed refrain that he is "building for the future" has indeed become begun to grate on fans who have grown accustomed to seeing their side start campaigns brightly (Arsenal were in the running for four trophies as late as last February) before crashing into trophy-less disarray.

Wenger's assertion that his club would enjoy a lengthy period of success once his crop of youngsters reached their peak now seems destined for the "failed idea" bin—another attempt crumpled into a ball of paper currently residing in it.

After four seasons of hearing the same tune, however, many fans feel it is time for Wenger to count his losses and move on.

Six years removed since the last trophy, the "future" is still on hold at the Emirates. With Arsenal geared for an epic struggle to maintain their status in England's top four with big-spending Liverpool and Manchester City nipping at their heels, never has Wenger's policy been called into question more furiously.

Asked whether his club—which has seen former starters Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and—most recently—Gael Clichy leave in current seasons—each echoing a refrain of looking for better opportunities to win trophies, Wenger is in his last stand.

It's a slap in the face to the proud Wenger, who enjoyed rampant success during his first ten seasons with Arsenal, winning the Premiership three times (including the undefeated Invincibles of 2003-04) and hoisting the FA Cup aloft four times.

Asked now whether his club has become a supply line for the European heavyweights, Wenger responded with previously-unseen resignation: "Yes we are concerned by that."

"When you take players who are 16 or 17 years old and play them in the Premier League, you need to be brave."

"But you do it because they deserve it and secondly because you hope the club will be rewarded when these players are 23 or 24, and are in a position to deliver."

"So it is a concern."

Moving into the gleaming Emirates Stadium before the 2006-07 season tied Wenger's hands, as the club were forced to pay off heavy debts incurred by construction costs. Though he rarely admits it, Wenger's policy of building cheaply through youth was born more of necessity, rather than choice.

Arsenal's success over the years—they are an annual participant in the Champions League—has come while once-proud sides such as Liverpool have seen their free-spending ways inexplicably send them crashing out of the top four.

The club are in sound financial shape, as opposed to rivals Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City, who have each racked up mountainous debt in recent seasons. With UEFA's long-rumored Financial Fair Play set to begin in future seasons, Wenger has helped Arsenal maneuver potential financial mires.

That's little relief for Arsenal fans, however, who point to those side's recent success. Being No. 1 in financial astuteness isn't often at the top of many fans' wish lists going into the season.

Now, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri look like the latest Wenger-made stars who will leave North London. 

Wenger's policy of playing youth—which once convinced 17-year-old Welsh prodigy Aaron Ramsey to join Arsenal over Manchester United—is a boon to youngsters, who enjoy a healthy dosage of first-team opportunities they would be unlikely to receive at other top clubs.

After using Wenger to become a top-class player, both Fabregas and Nasri (who are currently under contract with Arsenal) appear ready to leave in search of silverware.

Wenger spoke of the current status of Fabregas and Nasri during his Friday pre-match press conference: "We are on both fronts in no-man's land. Things can change quickly, but right now they are players of Arsenal Football Club."

Both have been included in the side set to face Udinese Calcio in the Champions League play-off, with the first of two legs coming this Tuesday.

While Fabregas is said to be on the verge of completing a move back to his boyhood club Barcelona, Nasri has yet to sign a contract extension with the club, and has been linked with a move to Man City.

With his current deal set to expire after the season, Nasri—were he to stay at Arsenal this season—would be free to leave next summer on a Bosman transfer.

Wenger appears dangerously close to resignation in this messy affair.

Should Fabregas and Nasri leave, it is imperative he move quickly to replace them by using the money from their transfers to sign proven talent. Juan Mata of Valencia and Phil Jagielka of Everton have been rumored to be potential Wenger targets, with the Frenchman unwilling to meet their price.

With Fabregas's transfer in the reported range of £40 million, however, he'd have little excuse of being unable to secure both those players' services.

It's time for Arsenal to prove it is more than rather than a breeding ground for unproven youngsters. The Carling Cup should be reserved for that policy.