Arsene Wenger tells Arsenal fans to expect transfer activity to pick up at the end of July

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal

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Arsene Wenger has responded to growing unrest by supporters over Arsenal’s transfer policy by stating that activity will increase at the end of July.

The Frenchman has been criticised for his lack of spending over the last few years, having reportedly not utilised his full budget in several transfer windows.

It is a policy which has been applauded by the likes of Uefa president Michel Platini, who has praised Arsenal for not incurring debts on the scale of Manchester United, but has rankled with fans who have become disillusioned with the club’s insistence on buying young players.

And rumours over the possible departures of key players such as Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy has left supporters worried that they will be left behind their rivals who continue to spend much more.

But when questioned on possible future transfers, Wenger said that decisions made on buying or selling players will not be rushed, as clubs still have two months before the transfer window shuts.

“We are in a waiting period, everybody is waiting that the other club moves,” he told Alsace TV.

“It is a transfer period. Everybody has their cards in their hands, hoping for the big transfer. There is nothing moving yet. The period will me more active at the end of July when we will need to really strengthen the team.

“There is always pressure, England is the hardest championship in the world, some teams have more money than us. We have to accept it and do the maximum.

“We decided to respect some rules in our club, especially on the financial side in an environment that does not respect that. We respect the quality of the game and human quality too. It means it is harder for us when you respect these three topics.

“We live exactly in the way everybody should, with a balance between revenues and expenses. I think we should be seen as an example and it is often not the case. We have been very constant for many years now.”

Wenger continued to stress that Arsenal are very close to fulfilling their potential as a team and he believes that only injuries have kept them from claiming an elusive league title.

He continued: “I think we were very near to winning the championship. The problem was that we were playing a lot of competitions together and we physically paid it in the final sprint.

“Until three weeks before the end of the season, we were in the course to win the championship. We also missed Fabregas and Van Persie a lot last year and it was very important for us.”

Asked whether he was still happy at the club, Wenger replied: “If you’re smart you don’t want to get what you don’t have. I have some prerogatives that every coach dreams to have and I’ll be thankful to my bosses forever. I can work with my philosophy and my freedom.”

He added: “I’m lucky, I’m working and I love what I do.”