There will be money to spend this summer 11 March, 2007

If you do the rounds on the Arsenal blogs today you’ll notice there is absolutely no news going about. Usually I’d be sitting down to write a match report today but our next game’s not until Wednesday against Aston Villa. The only real news about today is about Arsene Wenger’s transfer budget this summer.

Managing director Keith Edelman has assured there will be money to spend come the transfer window. And there needs to be. Top of the shopping list will have to be a new ‘keeper. It’s more likely than not that Jens Lehmann will move on at the end of the season. We need to bring in a replacement whether Jens leaves or not; he’s getting on a bit now and I don’t see Almunia as the man to fill his shoes. Manuel to me is on of those ‘perfect no.2′ goalies.

Edelman has said our early Champions League exit will not effect Arsene’s transfer kitty. Here’s what he had to say:

“It will not affect the manager’s budget at all. It certainly will not mean it will be cut in any way. If we had gone all the way to the final it might have been increased, but the budget is set based on an exit from the first knock-out round. Arsene will have money he always knew he would have, regardless of the result against PSV Eindhoven. Of course it was a massive disappointment to everyone at Arsenal but it won’t affect the financial side of things.”

Obviously Wenger would never of had a massive load of money to spend in the Summer due to our stadium debt but still, if we’d gone further in Europe things might’ve looked a bit better. Players definitely need to be brought in this summer. I think at least two minimum but I expect there will be a few departures too.

I’ll think about a shopping list when the transfer window actually comes, however it’s weird we’re thinking about it now. The season is still on, bring on Villa…woo.

There’s also a bit of talk about the possibility of Arsenal having a white away kit next year. Connections in the Arsenal shop have said we will definitely be playing in white next year. Also I’ve heard it will be with ‘redcurrant’ trim like last years kit. Apparently it’s all to symbolise Herbert Chapman’s vision. Here’s a very quick photoshopping I did of what the new kit may look like. Arseblogger has had his say and I think we’re all with him. More on that another time but it does seem likely now.

Happy Sunday.