Arsenal Complete the Signings of Their Four Targets
Éder Álvarez Balanta, Timo Horn, Julian Brandt, and Morgan Schneiderlin have all joined Arsenal this afternoon. Reportedly, the quadruple emptied Arsenal's €55m transfer budget, and not a single penny remains. It is said that Schneiderlin's transfer from Southampton was the most expensive, costing the club €18m. While Balanta and Brandt's transfer costed €15m each, with the remaining €7m spent on Timo Horn's transfer from FC Köln.
Press Conference
Journalist: "Good afternoon Mr. Wenger. I hope your day is going good. My question is: after bloating every position with several players, how will you be managing your squad? Will you be offloading players?"
Wenger: "I don't think the squad is really overloaded. The new comers are youngsters, so they won't expect that much playing time. For the goalkeeper position, Szczęsny remains my first choice, with Fabianski and Viviano his backups. Horn will go on loan to Newcastle United for a season long. As for the defense, Balanta is still young and hence will have a rotational role at the club. Ramsey and Schneiderlin will both get an equal and acceptable amount of time on the pitch. Wilshere, Brandt, and Chamberlain will constantly switch with Walcott, Rosicky, and Cazorla to get their needed amount of time. Özil however, will only switch when he is fatigued or not fit, as he is a key player in the squad. Finally, for the striker position Podolski and Giroud will be switching as well, with the one who proves he is better getting the more playing time.”
Journalist: “You must be hoping that the new players can bring success to Arsenal. Are you willing to finally win a trophy after this nine-year trophy drought?”
Wenger: “That is definitely what I have been trying to do for the past seasons. This season, however, I’m confident that we’ll win a trophy.”
Journalist: “Thank you for answering my questions and good luck for the upcoming season."