The Gunners boss believes recent criticism of his management of the club is “unfair” but says he is only willing to bring in new players who he feels will strengthen his team.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has defended himself from criticism that he is reluctant to spend money in the transfer window.

The Gunners have signed only Yaya Sanogo so far this summer and have seen two bids for Luis Suarez rejected by Liverpool.

Arsenal have also also missed out on several high-profile targets such as Luiz Gustavo who has moved to Wolfsburg and Gonzalo Higuain who has joined Napoli.

Yet Wenger insists he is happy to spend money, but he will only sign players who he feel can improve his team.

“The perception that I am resistant to spending is unfair,” he told reporters. “Why should I resist? I just defend the idea that you spend the money you have and not the money you don’t have.

“For years I did that. Today we have more so we can spend more. It’s as simple as that.

“Of course I am excited by that prospect but what I want to convince you of is that we are ready to spend the money if we feel that the players makes us a better team tomorrow morning.

“Maybe it’s difficult to balance that in a newspaper but football is not only about that. It’s bigger than that. It’s about the team, the quality of the play, the spirit and togetherness and the quality of the players. Therefore we have to focus on all the rest as well.”

Wenger also believes his side is buoyed by not losing any key players this summer having seen stars such as Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie depart the Emirates in recent seasons.

“What happened for years was the quality of our work has been taken away from us because the best players left for financial reasons,” he added.

“For the first time this year that has not happened and I don’t think it will happen again for financial reasons.

“We have made the first step. The next step is to strengthen the squad and the team by buying the right players.”

According to Goal

The Principality outfit have laughed off suggestions that they could offload the prolific hitman again in the near future.

Monaco have denied that they may be forced to sell Radamel Falcao again this summer because of the row brewing over the club’s tax status.

The newly-promoted Ligue 1 side benefit from having their headquarters based in the tax haven of Monaco, but the French league has ruled they must relocate to France by June 2014, making them subject to the same tax conditions as their rivals if the ruling is upheld on appeal.

This has led to rumours that some of the club’s big-name arrivals, such as Falcao, Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez, could be forced to leave the principality-based outfit again in the near future.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Thursday that Falcao’s agent Jorge Mendes has been discussing his client with clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid due to the uncertainty over Monaco’s tax situation.

Nevertheless, Monaco have now insisted that Falcao will not be leaving the Stade Louis II any time soon.

“The club categorically deny rumours about a sale of Falcao,” Monaco wrote on their official Twitter account.

“As a reminder, the Colombian attacker has signed with ASMFC for five years.”

Falcao, 27, netted once on his official Monaco debut last weekend as he guided them to a 2-0 win over Bordeaux.

According to Goal

The midfielder has revealed that he could be on the move next summer if he no longer feels valued at the Serie A champions.

Andrea Pirlo has admitted that he could leave Juventus at the end of the 2013-14 campaign if he no longer feels important to the team.

The 34-year-old, who joined Juve from AC Milan in the summer of 2011, has a contract with the Old Lady until June 2014, but has stressed it is by no means a certainty that he will ink a new deal with his current club.

“I’ll certainly play on, we’ll just have to see where,” Pirlo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’ve already spoken to the club and we’ll meet again at the end of the season. Juve are my priority, but I don’t want to be a weight for anybody. The years go by, but it is not written that I have to stay here just because I am called Pirlo.

“I want to feel important and a part of the side’s success, otherwise I’ll leave. If I had to change, perhaps I’ll go abroad. I’ll certainly continue playing for a high-level team.”

The Italy international then revealed that he is in regular touch with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, but added that he has not received an offer from the Spanish giants.

“I’ve spoken with my agent and with Ancelotti, someone who I regularly talk to, but nobody has offered me the chance to join Real.”

Pirlo made 32 Serie A starts for the Italian champions last season as they secured back-to-back Scudetto titles under Antonio Conte.

According to Goal

Chelsea have seen two bids already rejected for the Manchester United striker, but the Blues boss is hopeful of seeing progress befor the end of the transfer window

Mourinho has warned Manchester United that Chelsea will continue their pursuit of wantaway striker Wanye Rooney “until the last day”.

The Blues have seen two bids for the England international rejected by the Premier League champions – with their most recent offer thought to total £30 million with add-ons – with the forward understood to fear a backlash from the fans if the club force him to stay at Old Trafford.

Rooney was told to train with the reserves on Thursday with manager David Moyes angered by his efforts to engineer a move, and Mourinho insists he will not stop chasing the 27-year-old.

“There is no time limit on it,” Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“We have identified the player as one we would like to have with us. We have done it in an ethical way and we are going to do that until the last day. We are doing things legally, making the official bid directly to the club.”

Mourinho, though, insists no Chelsea official has spoken to Rooney regarding a move to Stamford Bridge without the consent of United but is hopeful of entering negotiations before the end of the transfer window.

“There have been no direct relations with the player, no contact – absolutely nothing. So let’s see if things change.”

According to Goal

The experienced attacker is optimistic about his side’s chances in Serie A in 2013-14 and believes they are improving tactically under Walter Mazzarri.

Diego Milito is pleased with the progress Inter have made during pre-season and is confident that they will enjoy a strong Serie A campaign.

The Nerrazzurri were beaten 4-0 by Valencia earlier this month, but then held reigning Serie A champions Juventus to a 1-1 draw in friendly clashes in America and Milito sees plenty of reasons for optimism in 2013-14 under new boss Walter Mazzarri.

“We’re working very well and the team is on the up. We lacked a bit of flair in the early matches but that’s natural in pre-season. We’ve definitely moved forward from a tactical perspective though,” the Argentine striker told the Inter website.

“Right from day one the coach asked even us guys who are coming back from injury to follow his tactical instructions and this is very useful for us. Things are going well and we hope this continues.

“We’ll go far, as high up the table as possible. I’m confident, when you play for Inter you always need to aim for the top.”

Inter begin their Scudetto campaign against Genoa on August 25.

According to Goal

The former Inter star has been dealt another blow after previously being stripped of the captaincy, while Paul Verhaegh is in line for his debut against Portugal

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has opted to leave Wesley Sneijder out of his final 22-man squad for this month’s international friendly against Portugal.

The Galatasaray playmaker was already stripped of the captain’s armband for Oranje’s Asian tour earlier this summer and has now been dropped from the team entirely.

Other notable absentees are Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and Everton defender John Heitinga, while Tim Krul has been left out due to fitness issues.

Ricardo van Rhijn, Adam Maher, Tonny Vilhena, Adam Maher, Siem de Jong and Ricky van Wolfswinkel all made the provisional squad, but eventually didn’t make the final list, while PSV duo Stijn Schaars and Georginio Wijnaldum have been added to the team after initially missing out.

Augsburg defender Paul Verhaegh has made the Netherlands squad for the first time and could make his Oranje debut on August 14.

Full Squad:

Name Club
Goalkeepers:
Kenneth Vermeer Ajax
Michel Vorm Swansea
Jasper Cillessen Ajax
Defenders:
Daley Blind Ajax
Ron Vlaar Aston Villa
Daryl Janmaat Feyenoord
Bruno Martins Indi Feyenoord
Joris Mathijsen Feyenoord
Paul Verhaegh Augsburg
Stefan de Vrij Feyenoord
Midfielders
Stijn Schaars PSV
Marco van Ginkel Chelsea
Jonathan de Guzman Swansea
Georginio Wijnaldum PSV
Kevin Strootman Roma
Rafael van der Vaart Hamburg
Attackers:
Jeremain Lens Dynamo Kiev
Dirk Kuyt Fenerbahce
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Schalke
Robin van Persie Manchester United
Arjen Robben Bayern Munich
Ruben Schaken Feyenoord

According to Goal

Spurs will host Georgian team Dinamo Tbilisi days before facing Arsenal, while the likes of Saint-Etienne, Real Betis and Spartak Moscow have been handed their opposition

Tottenham, Fiorentina and Feyenoord are among the top teams to have learnt their Europa League play-off fate as they bid to reach the competition’s group stage.

Spurs will face Dinamo Tbilisi while fellow Premier League side Swansea City have been drawn against Petrolul Ploiesti.

Dutch qualifiers Feyenoord will need to overcome Kuban Krasnodar while Russian giants Spartak will face off against St Gallen.

Serie A’s fifth-place finishers Fiorentina have been handed a clash with Grasshoppers, Bundesliga entrant Eintracht Frankfurt will be tested by FK Karabakh and La Liga’s Real Betis will look to reach the group stage via beatin Jablonec.

Elsewhere in the 62-team draw, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Molde have been drawn against Russian club Rubin Kazan and French contestants Saint-Etienne will play Esbjerg.

The matches will take place on August 22 and 29.

Draw in full:

Kuban Krasnodar v Feyenoord
Zulte Waregem v Apoel Nicosia
Rapid Vienna v Dila Gori
Pandurii Targu-Jiu v Braga
Tromso v Besiktas
Apollon Limassol v Nice
Aktobe v Dynamo Kiev
Swansea v Petrolul Ploiesti
Atromitos v AZ
FH Hafnarfjordur v Genk
Elfsborg v FC Nordsjaelland
Slask Wroclaw v Sevilla
Red Bull Salzburg v VMFD Zalgiris
FK Karabakh v Eintracht Frankfurt
Minsk v Standard Liege
Jablonec v Real Betis
Rijeka v Stuttgart
Chornomorets v Skenderbeu
Maccabi Tel-Aviv v PAOK Salonika
St Gallen v Spartak Moscow
Molde v Rubin Kazan
Vojvodina v FC Sheriff
Trabzonspor v FK Kukesi
Esbjerg v Saint Etienne
Grasshoppers v Fiorentina
Maccabi Haifa v FC Astra Giurgiu
Udinese v Slovan Liberec
Dinamo Tbilisi v Tottenham
Estoril Praia v FC Pasching
Nomme Kalju v Dnipro
Partizan Belgrade v FC Thun

According to Goal

The Blues boss has ruled out a move away from Stamford Bridge for the Brazilian defender amid speculation that the Liga champions are readying a big-money offer

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has talked up David Luiz and ruled out a move for the defender to Barcelona this summer.

Goal revealed last month how the Liga champions have stepped up their search for a centre-back by making a €29 million move for the Brazilian, while Gerard Pique has admitted it is difficult for Barca to sign a defender.

But the Blues boss praised the 26-year-old Luiz’s ability and insisted he will be used in the team after he sat out Chelsea’s 2-0 over Milan in their latest pre-season friendly.

“David has come back with us fantastically and we have to use his quality,” Mourinho told reporters.

“He has big self-confidence and self-esteem, especially when he comes up from the back with the ball.

“Can he improve defensively? Of course. But it is my job to try always to improve players.”

The Portuguese coach also confirmed that midfielder Frank Lampard is ready to begin his pre-season preparations with the squad after overcoming an achilles injury.

Mourinho confirmed: “Frank has got to start playing now.”

According to Goal