Arsene Wenger has called for the ban of the January transfer window as he believes it serves as nothing but a distraction for unsettled players who focus on their next move rather than show commitment to their clubs.
Arsenal rejected a bid from Manchester City for wantaway star Alexis Sanchez on deadline day. Wenger has the opinion that fringe players and players angling for a move will not show full commitment to their current employers as the January transfer window provides an exit door in the middle of the season.
Liverpool’s Phillipe Coutinho is another player whose dream move to Barcelona this summer was blocked.
“The players who do not play or the players who are tapped up in October they already start again to think: ‘Where do I go in January?’. That’s not a way to be on board with a football club…” Wenger told beIN Sports.
“We are here to entertain people and you can do that with people who are really on board together, to achieve something together and not every minute that it doesn’t go well to think: ‘Where can I go next?'”
Premier League managers have previously expressed their support for scrapping the January transfer window. Wenger believes that having a single annual window for clubs to conduct their business will ensure that players remain focused.
“I believe that we have to bring some decency. We all complain today that it has become too much a business, but we can do something about it. We have that responsibility in the game,” he added.
“You can’t have a player preparing for a vital football game and still be on the phone at 4 o’clock: ‘Do I go or not?’ or ‘How much is it?’, ‘Where do I go?’
“The ideal situation would be to have a transfer period that is closed 48 hours before the first game of the championship and to close it completely until the season after.”
Arsenal fans bemoaned the lack of star additions to their club this summer despite being linked with a host of players including AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar and Paris Saint-Germain’s Julian Draxler.
The Gunners return to the Premier League this weekend to host AFC Bournemouth at the Emirates.
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