Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has defended his frugal approach to the transfer market by citing Manchester United’s huge outlay on young forward Anthony Martial.
Manchester United paid a whopping €50m to Monaco for the signature of the 19-year-old French forward this summer and the fee could rise to around €80m, based on his performances at Old Trafford.
Many have questioned Louis van Gaal’s rationale at paying such a large sum for a player who is still to make his full international debut for France, but Manchester United are confident that their investment will eventually bear fruit.
On the other hand, Wenger has been criticised for failing to sufficiently strengthen his Arsenal squad this summer, but the Frenchman said the finding players who will improve his team is a difficult job.
The Arsenal boss cited Manchester United’s huge outlay on a player who is still to prove himself as an example and said that the pool of quality players available for big clubs is small.
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Therefore, he added that even if he had the money to spend on new signings, it was not always easy to identify the right player who would improve his team.
In an interview with beIN Sport, Wenger said: "The problem at the moment is finding the players that guarantee you are a better team."
"What happened last night with Monaco, who sold Martial to Manchester United for €80m – Martial scored 11 goals in the French championship – that sums it up well.
"That means it's not the money that's missing at the moment, it's not the desire of investment that is missing, it's the number of players available who can strengthen the big clubs."
Martial has become the most expensive teenager in the world and is expected to make his Manchester United debut against Liverpool after the international break.
