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Arsenal Boss Wenger Says It Is "Unlikely" The Gunners Will Make Any Transfers From Serie A - Liverpool & Man Utd Ready To Pounce

Submitted by Scott Harkness on Sun, 16/07/2006 - 17:44.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that The Gunners aren’t aiming to make any signings from any of the clubs that are being relegated from Italy's Serie A because Arsenal won’t be able to afford the high wages that the Italian players are used to.

The Gunners are already being linked with several ‘names’ from the relegated clubs, with debate over a move for Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Both Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson have declared their interest in some of the players that will be available after the recent match-fixing scandal that has rocked the Italian footballing world.

But Wenger, speaking after the 0-0 pre-season draw away to non-league club-side Barnet on Saturday, insists such top-name players are out of the Arsenal's price range.

“We can't afford to do it, which is why we're not overly concerned with what's going on at Juventus,” said Wenger.

“It’s very unlikely we'll make a move for the players because the wages are too high for us.”

The Frenchman, who has been with the Gunners since September 1996, feels that the European transfer market will be heavily affected due to the high number of top-class players likely to be available for transfer.

“What’s happened in Italy will inevitably disturb the market because you have a lot of players coming on to it,” said Wenger.

“But don't forget Juventus players are very well paid and not many clubs in the world can afford to pay these kind of wages.”

How much we can actually believe of this statement is yet to be discovered, but if there are any clubs that can afford some big name signings then it surely will include Arsenal who, with their move to Ashburton Grove next season, will be looking forward to the highest gate receipts of any football club in the World!