Wenger planning shock Arsenal clearout
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Arshavin, Clichy and Bendtner are Gonners as Wenger planning shock Arsenal clearout
Tough times: Arsene Wenger shows the strain during the recent goalless draw against Blackburn
EXCLUSIVE
Arsene Wenger will wield the axe in a summer shake-up after finally losing patience with his Arsenal flops.
The Frenchman has given the green light to an end-of-season rebuilding plan at the Emirates which will see a number of the club's top stars depart - including £15million Russia forward Andrey Arshavin, left back Gael Clichy and the self-styled 'best striker in the world' Nicklas Bendtner.
The Arsenal manager will also consider offers for bit-part players Emmanuel Eboue, Tomas Rosicky, Abou Diaby, Denilson and the goalkeeper with whom he persevered for so long, Manuel Almunia.
Wenger's belief in his current batch of Gunners stars had been staunch despite their six-year trophy drought. But a sequence of one win in seven that has seen the Gunners lose the Carling Cup final to Birmingham City and crash out of both the Champions League and the FA Cup has forced the manager into a rethink.
Sportsmail understands influential members of Wenger's backroom team floated the idea of selling a number of the club's underachievers to raise money for new signings.
Wenger is primed to show his ruthless streak with a clearout and there is a feeling Bendtner has had enough time to prove his worth, with the Denmark striker so often failing to fulfil his promise.
Arshavin's arrival in January 2009 was heralded as a major coup but he has struggled to replicate his dazzling Euro 2008 displays.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the Gunners feared the worst in their attempts to persuade Clichy to sign a new contract and will sell him in the summer rather than risk letting him leave on a free transfer in a year.
Arsenal hope to recoup as much as £35million from player sales this summer and Wenger has already told chief scout Steve Rowley to instruct his global network of scouts to identify targets. Some are already in Wenger's sights but yesterday he gave an impassioned defence of his record, insisting being second in the league is not a 'disaster'.
The Arsenal Supporters' Trust expressed their 'considerable disappointment' at recent results but Wenger hit back, saying: 'We are second in the league. Is that a disaster for you?
'There are teams who invest 10 times more than us, one player cost more than the whole team and they are behind us. I don't understand the way people think. Where is the common sense?
'Some of the clubs behind us have done nothing for 20 years, yet suddenly they get a lot of praise. I don't understand. 'To be consistent at the top level is the most difficult thing in our job. We have been in the Champions League for 15 years and there are only two clubs who have done that in this country - us and Manchester United.
'The way we are doing things is right. If I look at this team I'm proud of them, proud of the attitude of the players and the football we play.'
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I thought Eboue was ok.... but yes I agree all the others are crap.
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It's absolutely wrong to compare Eden Hazard to Lionel Messi. He's far from it.
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That a piece of good news for Gunner fans. But Clichy is a waste if he have been sold
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Originally posted by cheesiong:
That a piece of good news for Gunner fans. But Clichy is a waste if he have been sold
agreed.they really need a new keeper.
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this is a cycle that the gunners go through frequent enough....then overpromises and underlivers....
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The clumsy Squillaci needs to go, but I'd give Arshavin one more season. The captaincy of the squad is a problem as well.
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no offense, but 35m can't really buy one quality player given that there are big players on the table also..