Arsene Wenger believes China Super League spending will help "easily" create world's first £100m player

Alex Teixeira became the latest big-money signing to head to China this morning - and the Arsenal boss believes the Premier League should be worried

Within reach: Wenger believes a £100m transfer is only round the corner

 

Arsene Wenger has claimed football is heading for its first £100m player.

The Arsenal boss made the amazing claim because he believes China’s new found spending power will push the transfer market onto new levels this summer.
China have recruited Ramires for £25m , Jackson Martinez for £31m and former Arsenal forward Gervinho for £14m. Chelsea have reportedly turned down £57m for Oscar.

Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale is currently the most expensive player in the world as he cost £85m two years ago.

But Wenger believes the new £5billion TV deal for the Premier League which kicks in this summer will raise the stakes even higher.

China's big-money transfers

Alex Teixeira

£38.45m

Jackson Martinez

£31.5m

Ramires

£25m

Wenger said: “I believe the inflation is on our doors with the next TV deal in the summer, it will move up again the transfer prices. I am sure that soon the £100m target will be easy to reach.

“Yes, of course (the Premier League should be afraid). Because China looks to have the financial power to move a whole league of Europe to China.

“We are long enough in this job to know that it’s just a consequence of economic power and they have that.

Will they sustain their desire to do it?

Most expensive British players

£85.3m

Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013)

£49m

Raheem Sterling (Liverpool to Man City, 2015)

£35m

Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool, 2011)

“Let’s remember, a few years ago, Japan started to do it and slowed down after. I don’t know how deep the desire in China is, but if there’s a very strong political desire, we should worry.”

Wenger had mixed injury news as he confirmed Tomas Rosicky has been ruled out for three months with a ruptured thigh muscle and he may not play for Arsenal again.

But Danny Welbeck will play for Arsenal’s under-21s against Brighton today as he has been out with a knee injury since last April.

Wenger added: “I believe that he (Welbeck) needs to play two or three games before thinking about coming back into the first team. He has not played for 10 months so we need to be patient with him. He has good basic fitness but after it is competitive decision making and he needs to get used to that again.

 

Wel-bacl: The Arsenal striker has been training and will feature for the U21s today

 

Warning: But it could be two to three games before he returns to the first XI

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“We can organise games internally without being official games and I think in the next three weeks he should be available.

“Rosicky’s injury is quite a serious one. It is a muscular injury. The good news is that he will apparently not need surgery as it is a partial rupture of his tendon but how long it takes [whether] it is two months or three months we don’t know.

“We are all shocked and he is the most shocked and we have to patient and hope that it is not his last game.”

 

Sad story: Rosicky could be out for two or three months

Wenger also insists that Arsenal are still very much in the title race despite slipping five points behind Leicester.

He added: “I think you look at the table and you can say many as five or six [can win it]. It makes it interesting for us and makes it interesting for you.

“Even if we would love it to be a bit less interesting but it is the case and we have to deal with that. It will be five or six teams [that are in the title race].”

Who will finish higher this season: Arsenal or Tottenham?