Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that any new signings that come into the Emirates this summer, will have to fight for their place in the first-team.
The Gunners are yet to sign anybody big this summer, but the Frenchman has admitted on numerous ocassions that signings will be made and he has now admitted that they will have to work hard to break into his starting 11.
In recent days, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Karim Benzema, Micah Richards, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria, but despite the high-profile names, Wenger admits that they will face stiff competition for first-team places.
“That’s true, that the new guy who [could] come in will not start [every week],” Wenger said. “We might be in the position where we buy a big player and he will not play.
“What is good in our job, it’s just about quality. Most of the time, the quality is linked with the price, but not always.”
Wenger has seen his men bounce back from opening day defeat to Aston Villa by beating both Fenerbache and Fulham, but the manager doesn’t believe the performances have been improving because of fear of losing their place.
“I think players play like that because they enjoy the style of play and because they are ambitious – they want to win the league,” he said. “The players want as well to strengthen the squad.
“You see when you see them play that they enjoy to play together. It’s the first year as well that we have not lost players. We have not been traumatised by losing people. If we can gain one or two more, even three, we will do it. At the moment, I don’t think we played like that because of that [fear for places].”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
