Arsenal Miss Out as Wenger Rules Out Signing French Midfield Enforcer
M'Vila is not a target unless Arsenal suffer further injury setbacks
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he will not be bringing Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila to the club unless there are a number of injuries to his current crop of defensive midfielders.
Wenger has long been linked with the France international and it had been assumed that he would once again look to add the midfielder this summer, having already signed his international team-mate Olivier Giroud.
However, Wenger has made it clear that he would only be interested in bringing M'Vila to the Emirates if there were further injuries to the likes of Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby - both of whom endured a fitness nightmare last season.
Wilshere was forced to miss the entire campaign, while Diaby was only able to make five appearances as he suffered numerous setbacks throughout the season.
"No [I am not interested]. We wait on Diaby and Wilshere," Wenger told Arsenal's official website. "When you look we have Song, Ramsey, Coquelin, Wilshere, Arteta and Diaby.
"In defensive midfielders and box-to-box players we are not short if they are all coming back. If we have setbacks in pre-season it could be different."
Diaby has now returned to pre-season training and is currently with the rest of the Aersenal squad on their pre-season tour of the Far East, while Wilshere is still believed to be some way away from returning to action.
While it is a major blow to still be without the England international, Wenger is hoping that Diaby has moved past the last of his problems and will be competing for a starting berth in the heart of the Arsenal midfield next season.
"You can't imagine how happy I am firstly to have him in the squad, because he is an exceptional player," added Wenger. "I am cautious but confident because he had two hard weeks and came through it well.
"This tour is another decider for him. He will play on Tuesday night and now it is down to uncontrolled movement in games: how does your body react to that? I am confident with what I have seen in training that he will do it.
"He is the first player who would be on the France teamsheet in midfield when he is fit. [The then-France coach] Laurent Blanc said that before the European Championship and he waited a very long time to know if he could play or not. But he couldn't."
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.