Emery Hints At End To Arsenal’s Spending Spree

 

Unai Emery 

Unai Emery has suggested that Arsenal’s summer spending spree is over, with Celtic defender Kieran Tierney seemingly no longer a top priority.

The Gunners were tipped by many to take in a quiet window, with there a supposedly limited budget on offer in north London.

Nicolas Pepe has, however, been acquired in a club record £72 million ($88m) transfer, while Dani Ceballos, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba have been snapped up on loan and permanent deals.

It could be that business is now over at Emirates Stadium.

Celtic full-back Tierney has been pursued for some time, with £25m ($30m) put on the table at one stage, but no agreement has been reached.

The same is true when it comes to a protracted saga involving Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, with the Ivory Coast international still on the books of a Premier League rival.

With there time before the deadline passes, it could be that Arsenal decide to splash the cash again if the right player becomes available.

For now, though, Emery appears to be happy with the squad he has pieced together.

He told reporters after a 2-1 friendly defeat to Barcelona when quizzed on his recruitment plans: “It has not changed, our idea and our message.

“Only if we can sign a player who really, really can improve our squad, then we are going to do that.

“If not, then not.

“We have good competitive players to achieve or try to achieve our target this season and we are going to be looking at something if we can sign someone, but with this idea.

“Only, and only, if we can improve.”

Emery has already moved to quieten talk of Arsenal making a potential loan swoop for Barcelona’s former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho.

It had been suggested that the Brazil international would be sounded out in a bid to bring more creativity onto the Gunners’ books.

Emery, though, insists such a move has never been discussed, telling Cadena Ser of those rumours: “We’ve never talked about Coutinho.

“He’s a splendid player, but we haven’t talked about Coutinho at any time.”