Arsenal Team and Transfer News – 28th August 2011

• Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie feels they displayed great mental strength for their victory at Udinese ahead of today's clash with Manchester United.

Jack Wilshere, Alex Song, Emmanuel Frimpong, Gervinho, Abou Diaby and Laurent Koscielny are out, with Thomas Vermaelen a doubt.
Van Persie said: “What I liked about us against Udinese was our mental strength. Every one of us showed that – really believing. That is a good sign.
“We can be proud. It is up to us to do it against United and the next game. Every single time we play.
“It is tough to be missing players and it is unlucky they are not playing, but we have to show the mental strength again. We have other people to come in.
“We are not here to make excuses and it will not be an excuse if we lose against United.
“The boss [Arsene Wenger] will put out 11 players and that will be our strongest team.
“Now, it is up to us to do it again even when it gets tougher than against Udinese.”

• Robin van Persie is delighted to be Arsenal's new captain.

Van Persie is relishing the responsibility that goes with the captaincy he was given following the sale of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona.
The Dutchman said: “It makes me very proud, but it doesn’t make me act differently in any way. I am always helping people.
“It might look different to the outside world, but people who know me do not see a big difference in me between now and last season.
“I always put the team in front of everything else.
“The only real difference is that I have to organise a lot more and speak to people about certain things – but I like that.”

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger refuses to buy for the sake of it.

Wenger has been urged by fans and the media alike to bring in new signings before the transfer window closes on August 31 and he fully intends to do that.
"Think about the goalkeeping situation for example, where everybody pushed us to buy a player," he said. "Today that situation has changed [with the emergence of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski].
“You have to be open-minded and humble, but also determined when you have beliefs. We care about opinions, but at the end of the day you have to make decisions. I personally try to do what is right for this Club when I make a decision.
"I look at the opinions of people, of course, but if I feel deeply about a decision then I do it. It is sometimes controversial. I do not think I know everything about football but I have massive experience."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels Manchester United remain title favourites.

The Gunners are at Old Trafford tonight.
"I feel, since the start of the season, that we have a strong spirit and are highly determined," Wenger said.
"The response we gave in the second half against Udinese gives us a lot of strength and credit. It convinces me that this team has the ability to respond. And of course there is another opportunity to do that against Manchester United on Sunday.
"They are definitely [still the team to beat]. For us to beat them would be a great boost and would put us in a great position. We did it at the end of last season and would like to do it again."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels they can be title challengers if they can maintain their away form.

The Gunners had the best away record in the top flight last term - with eight wins and four draws - and the manager wants to continue that good form on the road starting with Sunday's trip to Manchester United.
“If we can transform our away strengths into points in the championship then we will be in a very strong position at home,” he said.
“We feel strong away from home - we have shown that against Udinese because many people predicted that we would go out.
“I listened to Italian television on Tuesday night and they were absolutely sure that they would knock us out.”

• Alex Song feels Arsenal have found a new safe pair of hands.

The impact of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has come as no surprise to Song.
“He can go on and become one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” said Song.
“He is fantastic.”

• Arsenal are hoping Tomas Rosicky can be the difference today at Manchester United.

Rosicky impressed in their Champions League win at Udinese.
"I felt that we lacked a little bit of creativity in the middle of the park and needed to be a little bit more creative," said manager Arsene Wenger. "Tomas had a big influence in the second-half."
Skipper Robin van Persie added: "I believe Tomas was incredible. He came on, played incredibly well and credit to him and the team."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is excited by what they've achieved commercially off the pitch this year.

The Gunners are strengthening its commercial position all the time and recently returned from its first tour of the Far East where the first-team squad played friendly matches in Malaysia and China.
Wenger understands the need to travel globally to help us build revenues for future investment.
"On the commercial side we may be behind clubs like Man United, and we are trying to reduce the gap," Wenger said.
"We work very hard on it, and that is one of the reasons we have gone to Asia. We have a big name abroad, but to transform that into resources is a bit more complicated. That’s what we try to do.
"It’s the only chance we have [to compete]. In England we cannot go any higher with our income, that is why we have to go international."

• Arsenal are poised to capture Monaco striker Park Chu-young who looked to be on his way to Lille.

The South Korean was believed to be signing for French champions Lille, but has reportedly headed for London after being informed of the Gunners interest.
Lille and Monaco are confused by the news, as Park had undergone the first part of his medical and had agreed terms.
"We haven't had a telephone call, nothing," Lille president Michel Seydoux said. "From what we understand he could be at Arsenal.
"Like Monaco, Lille are baffled. Everything [about his move] had been agreed."

• Arsenal are in advanced talks for Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila.

The Gunners are on the brink of landing long-time target M’Vila for £10m.
Rennes are reluctant to release the 21-year-old, who has made a huge impact in France, but the lure of playing for Wenger may be too strong.

• Arsenal will push on with a deal for Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.

The Gunners will go in with a fresh £12million bid which could rise to around£15m with any international and club honours won by Cahill over the course of a five-year contract.
And the indications are that Cahill will be an Arsenal player before the transfer window closes as Arsene Wenger is determined to bolster his defence with a player of proven Premier League experience.
Wenger will press on with a deal for Cahill, despite rowing with Bolton chairman Phil Gartside via Twitter last week.

• Arsenal can sign Olympique Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez.

Arsenal can sign Marseille’s Lucho – but only in a permanent £7million deal.
Arsene Wenger wanted to pay £2m to land the Argentine playmaker on a season-long loan.
But Marseille will only sell a 30-year-old who will have little resale value.

• Everton pair Mikel Arteta and Marouane Fellaini are on Arsenal’s radar.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger needs to replace Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, who left this summer for Manchester City and Barcelona, respectively.
The Frenchman is also short in midfield ahead of Sunday’s game at Manchester United because of injuries and suspensions.

• Sunderland are moving for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.

Bruce had Bendtner on loan at Birmingham City.
He wanted to bring back England striker Danny Welbeck on a season-long loan.
But his elevation to the Manchester United first-team has killed that off.