Gunners are trying to end their near
decade-long trophy drought by winning the title, FA Cup or European Cup but didn't
part with a penny in January
Money for nothing: Wenger had the
cash but didn't splash it last month
Fed-up Arsenal fans are demanding
big-money signings this summer after the club’s accounts revealed a massive
£140million has been left sitting in the bank.
The title-chasing Gunners have £120m in unspent
money, plus a further £22m of “safety net” cash, after not spending a penny on
transfers in January and putting ticket prices up by more than the rate of
inflation.
The news has drawn stinging
criticism from two supporters’ groups, who want to know why - when the north
London club has gone nine years without winning a
trophy - those funds have not been spent on improving the squad.
Tim Payton, of the Arsenal
Supporters’ Trust, said: “It is frustrating. There is money in the bank which
hasn’t been spent on players and yet ticket prices are still being put up next
season and they are asking for more money from supporters for Bayern Munich
tickets.”
Raj Patel, of the Black Scarf
Movement, stated: “Declaring this sort of money in the accounts now, on top of
a three per cent price rise, means the club must invest in serious players this
summer as an absolute minimum.”
Supporters are already annoyed that
admission to Wednesday night's Champions League home match against Bayern are
not included in their season-ticket cup credit, so the price - from £62 to £132
- will be added on to next year's, which will also go up by three per cent.
The financial figures - which go up
to November 2013 - are healthy, but are just about the last thing Arsenal fans
wanted to hear as they would rather it have been spent on summer signings.
The Gunners broke their transfer
record in spending £42m on Mesut Ozil last August and club sources indicate
that there will be up to £70m to spend in the coming summer - and every year,
thanks to increased revenue from the turnover.
Just the start? Arsenal now have
funds to make an Ozil-size signing every summer
Since striking their £150m kit deal with Puma,
Arsenal have agreed six more major commercial contracts. The money will be
spent on transfers, improving the club’s academy and upgrading their training
facilities at London Colney and Hale End.
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene
Wenger has claimed it would be “absolutely unbelievable” for the fans to turn
against his team now.
The Gunners, who gave away top spot
in the Premier League with last weekend's hammering by Liverpool,
were booed off in midweek after a goalless draw at home to struggling
Manchester United.
They face make-or-break games in the
coming week with Liverpool visiting in the FA Cup
on Sunday and reigning European champions Bayern arriving on Wednesday for the
first leg of a Champions League last 32 tie.
Wenger issued a reminder that
Arsenal are still well-placed to end their trophy drought, as they are just one
point off the top in the Premier League.
“It (the booing) was because I think
the crowd is behind the team but they were frustrated which is understandable,”
said the Frenchman. “We were [frustrated] as well.
“I cannot say I think the crowd will
not be behind the team. If they were not behind the team that would be a
surprise.
“We are one point off the leader, we
play in the Champions League, we play in the FA Cup. If on top of that we don’t
have a crowd which is behind us, that would be absolutely unbelievable.
“We are professional football
players. That means we have to cope with every single thing of the crowd. That
is the job. After that, if you can help the team, that makes us even stronger.
“But we have not to expect too much.
"We have to think like that.
Let’s have the attitude to have the crowd behind us. They were behind us at
Liverpool, even when we were 4-0 down.”
Wenger is ready to ring the changes
on Sunday, with Lukas Podolski likely to come in and the ill Santi Cazorla set to miss out, and
insists Arsenal are ready for revenge after last Saturday's Anfield annihilation.
Gorge, Lukas! Wenger fancies
Podolski to end Arsenal's struggles in front of goal
He added: “He (Podolski) is an
exciting player who always gives you a hope that he can score a goal. And at
the moment we miss that a bit.
“He was basically out for a whole
season. He’s a structure who needs to work hard. He’s getting better now.
“After what happened, I would say it
[Liverpool] is the first team we want to play. When you can put things right,
you want an opportunity to do that and we have an opportunity.
“We will go for any competition we
can. The FA Cup is one of the competitions and it is our next game, so of
course we will go for it.”
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