Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been talking to Arsenal.com today regarding potential transfers, as well as the futures of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
Arsenal have been linked with an £11m move for Gervinho, with the Ivory Coast forward passing a medical this week, and Wenger admitted a deal is close:
“We are working very hard on it,” he told Arsenal.com. “For me, the best thing is not to talk too much about it. The more you speak about things, the less chance you have to achieve them. The only thing that I can promise you is that we will work very hard and we have had some long nights to achieve what we want to achieve.
“I can understand [the impatience among the fans]. Believe me, I know all the clubs in the world and everybody needs the same players for the same positions. If there were an obvious choice, people would have already made their decisions. We are at the top level and therefore need exceptional quality to strengthen our side. I can understand that people say ‘you have money, just go out and buy’. But it’s not only that, we want to find the quality we need.
“I have said many times that we were very close to winning things last season, despite the disappointment we had at the end. I hope that provokes a response from my players. We were so close this time we want to come back and achieve it.
“My responsibility is first of all not to lose players and then to add and make us stronger.
“Let’s hope we can bring in one or two more additions of top quality.”
Wenger was then pressed on the futures of key players Fabregas and Nasri and he was clear in his stance; he will do all he can to keep the players at Arsenal this summer:
“Our position is always the same, we want to keep Cesc and I will fight as hard as I can to keep him,” said Wenger.
“Samir Nasri is exactly the same. We will do everything we can to keep him.”
“We will take the strongest possible squad,” said Wenger. “Fabregas will not travel because he still has a small muscular problem. He will stay and practice here. There is a doubt about Eboue who has done his calf.”
