Wenger Confirms Defender Will Arrive Before Liverpool Game Amid £33m Deal Talk

The summer transfer window is in full swing so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsene Wenger confirms he’ll sign a defender soon.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed he expects to sign a new defender before Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Liverpool in two weeks time.

The Gunners have endured a frustrating summer in the transfer market so far with no major new arrivals following Switzerland international midfielder Granit Xhaka to the Emirates following his move back in June.

Wenger has managed to sign youngster England defender Rob Holding as well as highly-rated Japanese forward Takuma Asano in recent weeks but the Arsenal supremo is under increasing pressure to bring in more established names.

The Frenchman has confirmed he’s still active in the market and while he insists he won’t be forced in to signing for the sake of it, Wenger has revealed that he expects to bring a new defender in before the start of the new season.

Arsenal entertain Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday August 14 so it leaves the north Londoners two weeks to sign a new centre-back – which has become a priority following the news that Per Mertesacker will miss five months with a knee injury.

Fans have also been calling for a new striker to come in with Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez among those to be linked, however, Wenger refused to be drawn on specific targets.

He told Arsenal.com:

on transfer approach…

I buy players that I feel can strengthen our team. Today you have to be very strong inside the club when you are responsible, not just to buy [for the sake of buying]. There’s always a wave of opinions. I must say people are better informed today – they know all the players. They tell you always that you should buy but when you ask them who to buy, they become much shorter. If you look at the market in Europe, there’s a lot of money available but not many players who really strengthen the teams. If you look at the teams that spend the most money in Europe, they’re not necessarily the teams that won the championships. The global investment of the clubs around us didn’t stop Leicester winning the championship.

on transfers…

We are still on the market for players. [Be it] at the front or at the back – we are on the market. Unfortunately we are not alone.

on Mahrez and Lacazette…

The best way to conclude transfers is not to talk about them, which is very difficult in the press conference! We are on the market but I don’t want to talk specifically about any player because that makes it more difficult for me – and it’s difficult enough.

on if he expects to sign defender before the season starts…

Yes I do.

We’ll have to wait and see who Wenger goes for but Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi has been strongly linked recently with Sky Sports News claiming last week that Arsenal are in talks over a potential £33m deal for the German international.

The 24-year-old has been a regular in Joachim Low’s squad in recent years after enjoying some fine form for Valencia following his move from Italian outfit Sampdoria in 2014.

Mustafi is predominantly a central defender so he’d be a direct replacement for Mertesacker but he’s also capable of playing at right-back if needed so his versatility would come in useful.

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However, with Jurgen Klopp taking his Liverpool squad to the Emirates in two weeks time Wenger is going to have to act quickly if he’s to fulfill his prediction of signing a new defender before the big kick off.