Arsene Wenger: ‘If everybody is fit and available, we don’t need to go into the transfer market’

Published: 18 December, 2014
by STEVE BARNETT

ARSENE Wenger has revealed that he might be forced into the transfer market this January if defender Laurent Koscielny continues to pick up injuries. 

Koscielny missed Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday with a calf injury, with right back Mathieu Debuchy filling in at the heart of the defence. 

The centre-back has also spent a lot of time on the sidelines this season with an achilles problem, leaving Wenger with no choice but to splash some cash in the new year. 

“There will be very little activity in general because all the big clubs want to keep their players,” said the Arsenal manager. “It will be as quiet as usual in the first three weeks and a bit frenetic in the last three or four days. 

“If everybody is fit and available, we don’t need to go into the transfer market. But we have to consider that there could be a question mark with Koscielny’s fitness and that could change things.” 

The calf injury means Koscielny will miss Sunday’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, while Wenger also said that midfielder Aaron Ramsey will also be “out of action for a few weeks” with a hamstring injury. 

Meanwhile Wenger thanked the fans after they chanted “there’s only one Arsene Wenger” throughout Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle. 

The 65-year-old Frenchman was verbally abused by supporters after the 3-2 defeat at Stoke in the first week of December.

But after the Toon Army were deflated, the Emirates crowd made their feelings clear as they sung their support. 

“We lost at Stoke and we feel guilty for that,” Wenger said. “But 99.9 per cent is people with full respect even when they’re not happy.  Ican take the 0.1 per cent. Of course, I’m thankful for the fans singing my name at the end of the match. It’s very nice to get support from the crowd.”