Wenger: Arsenal are tougher

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a squad that is more adept at dealing with the physical nature of English football.

The Gunners' fluid passing style is well documented but so too is their inability to hold firm when the going gets tough, as it can against a number of less technically-adept Premier League teams.

But Wenger believes that previous soft core is starting to show signs of changing, as epitomised by Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 victory against Stoke.

Wenger said: "In England you have to cope with all kinds of football without losing the quality you want to play.

"That is not always easy because if you have 10 Santi Cazorlas, you would have a very good technical team, but against Stoke you would struggle.

"I think it is more mental preparation. You tell your central defenders you have to be ready and they are good on the second ball too, so your midfielders have to be good on the second ball, to fight for it and let you play your game.

"We played Abou Diaby at home and away against Stoke because in front of the defence he can win some headers.

"We are a bit more mature now, but we dealt with it well. In the past, we were a bit younger as well, more inexperienced.

"But defensively, Bacary Sagna, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have some experience, some stature, they are not small at the back."

As well as toughening up as a unit, Wenger believes Theo Walcott is now more adept at dealing with the attention he gets.

"He is 23 years old," Wenger added. "There is always a change at that age. I am a great believer in that. What people forget is that he does everything at 100mph, and when you get hit at 100mph it hurts more than if you're slow.

"That is why we never had a problem when we played. But he plays at high pace. But now you learn to escape and when he imposes himself more, you learn to use your body better."

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Arsene Wenger has ruled out signing David Beckham – and has also admitted there is no chance of David Villa moving to the Emirates this month.



- Florian Thauvin has snubbed the chance to move to Arsenal by agreeing terms with Lille.



- Chelsea could re-enter the race to sign Paulinho later this year after Inter Milan revealed it would be difficult to sign the Corinithians midfielder this month.



- Didier Drogba is relishing the chance to have another crack at the Champions League after sealing a return to Europe with Galatasaray.



- Philippe Coutinho is expected to be confirmed as Brendan Rodgers' second signing of the January transfer window inside the next 24 hours.



- Lewis Holtby could make his Tottenham debut on Wednesday just 24 hours after completing his protracted £1.5million move from German side Schalke.



- Forgotten man Xisco could be heading out of Newcastle - to Spanish second division side Cordoba.



- Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has taken to the club's official website to reassure fans that he remains 100 per cent committed to the Toon's fight for Premier League survival.



- Newcastle United could add to their French contingent once more with a last-minute bid for William Vainqueur, according to sources in Belgium.



- Urby Emanuelson will leave Milan on a six months loan deal to join English side Fulham.



- Fulham and Everton could miss out on Igor de Camargo after the Belgium ace signalled his desire to continue his career in Germany.



- Everton's move for FC Twente midfielder Leroy Fer hangs in the balance after a problem with the player's medical.



- Former England midfielder Kieron Dyer is expected to join Middlesbrough.



- QPR have made a dramatic £10million offer for Christopher Samba – the signing they believe will keep them in the Barclays Premier League.



- Anton Ferdinand has left struggling QPR to join Turkish side Bursaspor on loan until the end of the season.



- Aston Villa right-back Alan Hutton has completed his loan move to Spanish side Real Mallorca.



- USA midfielder Brek Shea is due to undergo a medical today at Stoke before joining the Potters in a £2.5million deal from MLS side FC Dallas.



- City's England Under-21 goalkeeper Declan Rudd has joined League One side Preston North End on loan until the end of the season.



- Reading and West Ham have been handed a possible transfer boost after Morgan Amalfitano revealed he could leave Marseille before the end of the week.



- West Ham United have been gazumped by a Championship club, believed to be Leeds United, in their bid to sign Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock.



- West Brom head coach Steve Clarke says the club remains determined to keep Peter Odemwingie at The Hawthorns, despite his recent Twitter tirade.



- Sam Allardyce has conceded Mohamed Diame could leave West Ham before Friday - but he is confident Carlton Cole will stay.



- Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson is set to link up with former manager Sam Allardyce at West Ham.



- Blackburn want to sign Colin Kazim-Richards permanently to stop Galatasaray trying to sell him to another Turkish club.



- Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, has emerged as a target for Chelsea, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Stephan El Shaarawy's future will be at AC Milan after he ended speculation over a move to England by signing a new five-year contract.



- Corinthians midfielder Paulinho has rejected a proposal to move to Italian giants Inter Milan on Tuesday afternoon, according to director of football Roberto de Andrade.



- AC Milan announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Italy striker Mario Balotelli from the English champions.



- Sampdoria sports director Carlo Osti claims striker Mauro Icardi is going nowhere in January, despite attracting much interest with his prolific form.



- Chievo have confirmed the capture of Italy Under 21 international Mario Sampirisi for the rest of the season.



- Pescara are close to completing the signing of Giuseppe Sculli from Lazio.



- PSG midfielder Marco Verratti is not poised to move to Roma in a swap deal with Daniele De Rossi, according to his agent.



- Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal, wants to join Atletico Madrid, according to El Mundo Deportivo.



- Hoffenheim have signed Brazilian-born Belgium striker Igor de Camargo on loan until the end of the season from German rivals Borussia Monchengladbach.



- Galatasaray striker Colin Kazim-Richards has been recalled from his loan at Blackburn Rovers and is set to move to Bursapor.



- Hearts have revealed youngsters Danny Thomson and Michael Thomson have both left the Scottish Premier League club.



- Aberdeen chief executive Duncan Fraser has confirmed goalkeeper Jason Brown has parted company with the club.



- Brighton and Hove Albion have signed Iceland Under-19 international Emil Asmundssen on a two-and-a-half-year deal.



- Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed Rodri has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent.



- Sheffield Wednesday have re-signed Jeremy Helan from Manchester City on a youth loan until the end of the season.



- Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Dundee United forward Johnny Russell.



- Crystal Palace have agreed a deal with Peterborough for the transfer of midfielder George Boyd.



- Striker Craig Westcarr has penned a deal with Walsall until the end of the current campaign.



- Swindon striker Paul Benson has joined Cheltenham on loan until the end of the season.



- Leicester striker Jeff Schlupp has had his spell with Manchester United extended.



- Brentford have extended Tom Adeyemi's loan from Norwich for the remainder of the season.



- York City have signed Swansea City right-back Curtis Obeng on a one-month loan deal.



- Kwesi Appiah has brought an end to his trial at Yeovil by signing for them on loan until March 2.



- Red Bull Salzburg's Martin Hinteregger has turned down a proposed move to Fiorentina, revealing his dream is to play in England or Germany one day.

Wenger rules out Villa/Becks

Arsene Wenger is still in the market for new players this week, but neither David Villa nor David Beckham will be joining Arsenal.



Beckham has asked to train at London Colney as he continues to assess offers from clubs in Europe and elsewhere, while Villa has been linked with Arsenal since the transfer window opened.

But Barcelona have consistently said they will not sell the striker this month and, according to Wenger, there is no room for further negotiation.

He said: "Barcelona don't want to sell, they've made that very clear."

As for Beckham, Wenger said: "He has asked to come here and to work on his fitness. He has not done anything for a long, long time.

"It's purely for fitness. There's no speculation about signing or anything."

Asked what Arsenal are getting out of the arrangement, he said: "Nothing. Questions in a press conference!"



There have been no new arrivals at the Emirates this month despite Arsenal's position outside the top four and the departures of Marouane Chamakh and Johan Djourou.

Wenger said: "We are still trying, but it's hard to sign players in January who can improve you."

Wenger eyes Edinson Cavani and Wilfried Zaha

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha are on his transfer wish list.

The Frenchman has focused much of his attention over recent months on transfer negotiations with Theo Walcott but, with those talks believed to be nearing a positive conclusion, he has now started to look elsewhere.



Wenger is renowned for his reluctance to spend big on new recruits, with balancing the books as important to the Emirates boss as generating results on the field.



He is, however, aware of the need to strengthen during the winter window, helping to appease a disgruntled fan base, and has admitted that Cavani and Zaha are among those currently under consideration.



Wenger said: "Cavani is a player that I like.



"Will he cost a lot of money? That's for sure. Nobody would deny that. Our banker lives just next to me at the moment and he is ready if we find the right player."



On Zaha, who is also a target for Manchester United, he added: "We are looking at him, but at the moment we have not made any bid for him.



"I don't know if Manchester United are in for him. Anyway, if you call any club for any player, they will tell you Man United, Milan, Real Madrid are as well in for him, but it is always difficult to know if it is true or not."



On Zaha, he said: "We are looking at him, but at the moment we have not made any bid for him.



"I don't know if Manchester United are in for him. Anyway, if you call any club for any player, they will tell you Man Utd, Milan, Real Madrid are as well in for him, but it is always difficult to know if it is true or not."



Wenger is prepared to be patient in his pursuit of fresh faces, with it is opinion that it is often best to wait until the end of the window before making a move.



He said: "The prices always go up at the start of the transfer market and go down in the last week.



"Sometimes as well they go up in the last week, but it depends. Most of the time they go down in the last week and you know as well that 90 per cent of transfer activity happens in the last week, if not in the last 48 hours."

Wenger eyes Cesc return

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that he can see former captain Cesc Fabregas playing for the club again.

Fabregas departed Barcelona aged 16 but then returned to the Nou Camp eight years later when he signed for them in 2011 after over 200 first-team appearances for Arsenal.



Wenger was loathed to lose Fabregas at the time, but he still believes that a return to North London is not out of the question.



"I'm not convinced that he won't come back here one day," Wenger insisted.



"He is really an Arsenal man. He loves Arsenal and watches every game of Arsenal.



"But of course Barcelona was his home town where he grew up and you have to accept that will come into it, especially with them having the best team in the world.



[Fabregas would not come back] in the next two, three years, certainly not, because he is linked with Barcelona. But maybe later."



Wenger admits he would love to find another top youngster like Fabregas.



"Fabregas is an exception that I would try again, a world-class player you don't easily find," he said.



When Fabregas left he was the latest in a long-line of high-profile departures from the club, but Wenger is now looking at a British spine with Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain all recently extending their deals and he feels it is easier to keep them.



"What you want is the players to grow up together and say, 'We will be successful together.' We had that before. We had the period where we kept our players together for eight, nine years, with Henry, Vieira. Now it is a bit easier to keep them if they are British," he added.

Hannover want Djourou deal

Hannover have admitted they are interested in bringing Arsenal defender Johan Djourou to the club in the January tranfser window.



The 25-year-old has fallen out of favour with manager Arsene Wenger having only made two appearances for the Gunners this campaign.



The Switzerland international, who joined the club as a teenager, has yet to feature in the Premier League with Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker all ahead of him in the pecking order.



Now the former Birmingham City loanee could be set for a fresh start in the Bundesliga with Hannover chief Martin Kind admitting the club's interest in the player.



He told BILD newspaper: "I am able to confirm that we are very interested in bringing Johan Djourou to the AWD-Arena.



"He is on our short list of names and there have been some concrete talks with Arsenal going on."



Meanwhile, the club's general manager Jorg Schmadtke says any potential move for the centre-back would be a short-term deal as he is contracted to Arsenal until 2015.



He said: "We do intend to loan the player first until the end of the season and we will make a decision on his future."

Five sign new Gunners deals

Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have all signed new deals at Arsenal.



Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who is hoping to tie down Theo Walcott on an extended contract, admits he is hoping the five players will form the spin of his team for some time to come.



Gibbs is the oldest of the bunch at 23 and he has already received international recognition along with Ramsey (21), Oxlade-Chamberlain (19), Wilshere and Jenkinson (both 20) at various levels.



Wenger said: "We are delighted that these five young players have all signed new long-term contracts.



"The plan is to build a team around a strong basis of young players, in order to get them to develop their talent at the club.



"Jack is certainly the best known, the leader of this group - but the other four players are exceptional footballers, and we're very happy that we could conclude their new deals at the same time.



"I'm a strong believer in stability and I believe when you have a core of British players, it's always easier to keep them together and that's what we'll try to achieve going forward."

Players's Wenger has bought in so far.

Arsene Wenger is set to have in excess of £70 million to spend next summer. 

But has a recent track record of wasted money and has never won a trophy with a team consisting of players solely signed by him. We want to know if you think the Frenchman can be trusted to spend the money wisely?

Wenger: I'm still Arsenal's man

Arsene Wenger has no doubts he remains the best man to turn Arsenal's season around after shrugging off more question marks over his future.



The French coach, 63, has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, which intensified following the Capital One Cup defeat at League Two Bradford.



Wenger has not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup and there have been calls for him to step aside.



However, the long-serving Gunners boss, whose current deal runs until the summer of 2014, insists he is as hungry for success as ever.



"My job is to be determined and give importance to what is important. What is important is I love football, I love this club and I give my best for this club. The rest, I cannot interfere with," Wenger said on Friday ahead of the Premier League game at Reading on Monday night.



"Believe me, I am highly focused on doing that and all the rest, that doesn't interfere with my thinking at all.



"I am very determined and very hungry and if I wasn't, I wouldn't sit in front of you."



Wenger, who sits on board meetings, has been criticised as being too powerful within the club - branded "a dictator in many ways" by one former Arsenal player, and now media pundit, Stewart Robson.



The Gunners boss, however, feels his experiences give him a position of strength.



"I can understand that people criticise when the results are not as expected, but it looks like it has become the modern way to think," he said.



"You say that 16 years can be a handicap, but as well it can be an advantage because you have experience, you love the club.



"If I sit here, it is because I have really shown how much I love this club.



"Also, you know you have gone through difficult periods before and you know how to turn it around."

Wenger thinks Messi should win Ballon d'Or

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not like the Ballon d'Or in principle but admits he would vote for Lionel Messi if the award was decided on 'class'.

Barcelona's Argentine superstar is the runaway favourite to collect the accolade for a fourth consecutive year when it is announced on 7th January after an astonishing 2012.



Messi earlier in November surpassed Pele's 75-goal record of goals for club and country in a calendar year and is now on 82 to leave him just behind former West Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85.



But Wenger, who has always believed in praising the team ethic over the individual, thinks other the contenders - Messi's Barcelona team-mate, Spain international Andres Iniesta, and long-term rival, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - would also deserve the Ballon d'Or.



The Arsenal boss said: "It's very difficult. For the class, Messi. He's scored 76 goals in one year. It looks just outrageous to me. Therefore it would be one thing to reward something exceptional.



"Ronaldo, has always been there and he deserves it as well. He won the Spanish championship.



"Iniesta won the European Championship with the national team and therefore, you could reward him.



"I'm not a big fan of these things. If you judge purely the class, you judge Messi.



"If you want the achievement of the year, you would choose Ronaldo and maybe Iniesta in second. That's how I see it."

Wenger could sign two players in January

Arsene Wenger is preparing to strengthen his Arsenal squad in the January transfer window with possible moves planned for two players.

Wenger revealed that the club have made funds available to him in order to bring new faces in after a frustrating start to the Premier League season.

Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman and Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha have all been linked, but Wenger refused to disclose details.

"This winter we will work very hard because we have some funds available," he told French television station beIN Sport. "It could happen that we buy two players, but I cannot reveal the names."

The Arsenal boss also talked of reviving a move for Thierry Henry from New York Red Bulls, but insisted his focus was bringing players on a permanent basis rather than loan.

"A loan [for Henry] is still a possibility, but we will still try to strengthen for the long term," he said.

"Henry is the talent that you dream to have. He has fantastic physique, fantastic technique, a fantastic brain, all built together in one man.

"At the start he was not confident enough but he has gone on to show what a great player he is."

-->

Wenger: Wilshere's becoming our Cesc

Arsene Wenger says Jack Wilshere is taking on the same qualities as Cesc Fabregas after the England midfielder inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 win over Montpellier in the Champions League on Wednesday.



Wilshere made a well-timed break into the penalty area early in the second half to make a crucial breakthrough for Arsenal, latching onto Olivier Giroud's header to poke past the Montpellier goalkeeper.



It was a goal that eventually led to a victory that sweeps Arsenal into the knockout stages of the Champions League, with Lukas Podolski making things safe later in the game - rattling home a piledriver of a volley.



Wenger was asked of Wilshere's likeness to Fabregas, who used to pull the strings for the Gunners, and he responded on Sky Sports: "Yes. He is getting stronger physically and tonight he got in the box.



"He is a complete midfielder - he can defend well and attack well. This sort of situation will give him confidence."



Wenger made no bold predictions, though, about Arsenal winning their maiden Champions League trophy, preferring to take each tie as it comes in the last-16.



"We don't worry too much about that," the Frenchman said. "When you are in this competition you just want to get into the next round. Now we go into a cup competition."



Wilshere sounded a note of caution to Gunners fans, preferring to focus on the task of topping the group before they even think about getting to the quarter-finals.



"We started off sloppy. But we've still got one game left. We need to finish top," the youngster said.



"The first half was hard - we were sloppy, we gave the ball away and weren't ourselves so needed to come and get an early goal.



"We have to step it up. Tonight wasn't good enough, especially in the first half. We've got to play the best teams to win it so it doesn't matter who we get."

Henry could join Arsenal for third spell - Wenger

Arsene Wenger said he is not ruling out former striker Thierry Henry having a third spell at Arsenal.

Henry has scored 228 goals in 377 games for Arsenal 

The 35-year-old has been training at the Gunners' Hertfordshire base to maintain fitness following the end of his MLS season with New York Red Bulls.



Henry returned on loan last year, making four appearances and extending his club record goal tally to 228.



Wenger said: "Will I sign him again in January? I don't rule it out. I don't know if he is interested. He is sharp."



Wenger said Henry's arrival could again compensate for the absence of Ivory Coast forward Gervinho at the start of 2013.

He said: "We will lose Gervinho again as they are playing in the African Cup of Nations two years in a row, so we will be confronted with a shortage particularly if [striker] Marouane Chamakh should go. I cannot stand in his way, then we will be short."



Wenger added: "You know what Thierry gives you; he gives you hope, especially when he comes on, that is the most important thing.



"Thierry is a communicator, an extrovert, very intelligent. He can only give good advice to players because he was in their position when he arrived here.



"I think now this team has an exceptionally good character. There are not many flashy boys. What is the most important thing is not whether you are an extrovert, but what it means to you to do well, your job, your will to win."