Arsene Wenger may not like Manchester City’s success from spending, but they’ve done nothing wrong
For a man who admits to not being a fan of far ranged pre-season tours, Arsene Wenger is doing a good job of selling his Arsenal side’s clash with Manchester City in Beijing.
Roberto Mancini will lead his side out against the Gunners in the Chinese capital on July 27 and may not be too pleased with the Emirates Stadium chief’s latest comments regarding their Premier League triumph last season.
Arsenal will also have a friendly with Kitchee FC of Hong Kong a couple of days later and was speaking to the city’s version of TimeOut when he question how much praise Mancini should be given be given for finally taking his squad of expensive stars to the title.
“I don’t want to go into excuses but you want a business to be run properly and I believe that to lose £150million a year, you don’t deserve a lot of credit to win a competition,” he said in the interview.
Wenger didn’t just take a swipe at City, he also claimed that Arsenal could still win the title without being able to compete financially with the big-spending sides.
The Frenchman also admitted that the Gunners were counting on UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules to be enforced properly, claiming his club would benefit greatly following their move towards creating an entirely self-sustaining company.
“If the rules are well introduced, it will be a massive advantage to Arsenal Football Club, of course, and we will be well positioned for that,” he claimed.
“I think that it is right that you balance your books – to accept the one basic principle for every company – and that’s that you can spend the money which you make.
“That principle just seems to be a common sense and logical one.”
That is all well and good, but it is plainly obvious that the biggest football clubs are not normal businesses – one example being the Act of Sport in Spain, which allows clubs like Barcelona to operate with negative equity and not be forced into rebalancing their assets.
In fact, a number of Spanish clubs owe tax to the Spanish government but are not being forced to repay it – a staggering combined total of £625million in March of this year.
La Liga tax issues, added to the likes of City, PSG and Chelsea regularly soaking up huge losses to finance on-field success because of mega-rich owners, all sounds a little unsavoury.
However, until FFP comes into play, none of these teams are breaking any of the rules that apply to football clubs and complaining about them is like Blackburn Rovers complaining that they can’t get as many people in Ewood Park as Manchester United do at Old Trafford.
Do Chelsea deserve less credit because they are situated in an area that has a population with a much higher average income? Is any success they achieve less valid because they have access to a far greater population base?
It may feel wrong to some, but City are only operating within their own parameters and their owners can do what they wish with their money and the clubs they own.
What is really wrong is that which has happened at Leeds United and Portsmouth, where fans have worried if they will be able to even turn up to watch their club at all.
Football is a profession and those clubs that can provide greater salaries and benefits will always attract the best talent; there are no two ways about it.
Richer clubs have always experienced a greater ratio of success due to being able to buy the best players, we just haven’t ever seen it on the scale and speed that PSG, City and Chelsea went about it.
Complaining about disproportionate financial muscle being wrong or right are arguments that need to be saved for when FFP comes into play.
If a club contravenes the rules, then restrictions on their dealings and punishments can be put in place, but the current set up allows them to spend as they have and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Wenger and many others might not like it, but they are just going to have to lump it.
Toure told to make up his mind
Roberto Mancini has told Kolo Toure to decide if he wants to leave Manchester City for Turkish side Bursaspor.
The City chief has spoken out after an offer came in for the 31-year-old Ivory Coast defender, who is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal this summer.
Toure has struggled for regular first-team football at the Etihad Stadium since last September when he returned from a six-month ban for failing a drugs test.
It was thought the former Arsenal man would be leaving for pastures new when Bursaspor revealed they were in talks with City over a deal for the player earlier this month. But Toure's agent recently said that he is now looking to stay and fight for a first-team place in the City side next season.
Therefore, with uncertainty surrounding Toure, Mancini insists Toure will be left to make the final decision on his future as long as Bursaspor have the finances to push a deal through.
He told The Sun: "It's up to Kolo to decide if he wants to go to Bursaspor or not, however, can they meet his demands?"
Santa Cruz hopes to find new English team after being shunned by Man City
Out-of-favour Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz wants to stay in the north west of England after returning from a loan spell in Spain.
The Paraguayan international scored seven goals in 33 games in La Liga last season at Real Betis.
Roberto Mancini has no place for him in his City squad, with Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko all ahead of him.
Santa Cruz was left at home to train with the reserves while his colleagues jetted off for their pre-season tour.
He said: 'I am still a City player and if given the chance I will fight for place, but that is not likely to happen.
'That chapter is hard to re-open because of the players they have bought in and I don’t know where I’ll be playing next season.
'I am using pre-season with the reserves to keep fit and focus on what might come in the next few weeks.
'It is not great not to be part of a pre-season tour.
'You expect as a professional to be part of it and I was just left behind.
'I think my form has come back, playing in Spain helped me a lot, after two years where I didn’t play a lot because of the tendonitis.
'At Real Betis I played all through the year and that helped me a lot. My conditioning is good, I feel fit and just want to play now.
'A north west club would be ideal. I don’t want to keep moving my kids back and forth, it is not good to move them year after year.
'I would like to come back to the area permanently. We love the area, want to send the kids to the schools here, have everything we need here and feel at home.'
This could put Wigan, Bolton and his former side Blackburn on alert.
The 30-year-old has made just 20 appearances since moving for £17.5million in 2009, bagging only three goals.
But he added: 'I never regret anything, I had a good season in Spain and it was good to see them doing so well.
'It was a great achievement they won and I it was very special the way it happened.
'I have a lot of friends at City I appreciate the club and it was great to see them win the league.
'It was a frustrating time for me at City, the manager has a choice to use players he think he can trust and bring players in that he has confidence in.'Sportsmail Reporter
Arsenal determined to hold onto Manchester City target Robin van Persie - Wenger
Arsene Wenger has reiterated his desire to keep star striker and Manchester City target Robin van Persie at Arsenal.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday revealed his side tabled a bid to bring the Dutch striker to Old Trafford.
Although the sum is said to have fallen well short of Wenger's estimation - believed to be around £30million - United revealing their interest could further unsettle Van Persie, who has also been chased by City and Serie A outfit Juventus.
His existing deal at Emirates Stadium expires next summer and Wenger is desperate for the 28-year-old to remain a Gunner.
"For me, Van Persie is one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best, and my desire is to keep him at the club." he told Arsenal Player.
"As for the rest I will do what is in the best interests of Arsenal Football Club. That, at the moment, is where we are. There is not a lot more to say than that."
Van Persie won both Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association player of the year prizes in recognition of his phenomenal 36-goal contribution for Arsenal in the 2011/12 campaign.
It is understood he will not travel to Asia later today on Arsenal's pre-season tour, although the Gunners were keen to stress his non-involvement was due to the striker having only trained for four days since returning from holiday.
The saga is shaping up to be a carbon copy of those that saw Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri both sold last summer - something which dragged on towards the tail end of the transfer window.
But Wenger is convinced that Van Persie will continue to give his all for Arsenal - regardless of whether he leaves the club.
"Robin was an exceptional leader last year," he said. "But we know how much we had to fight to come third because we missed out the start of the season. After seven games we had lost four and we have learned that for us it is vital for us to focus on the start of the season rather than on any transfers.
"If the transfers happen, they happen. As long as you are at the club you give your best for the club and that is the only pride you can have as a football player and as a manager.
"As long as you are somewhere you give your best every day for that club. If it changes, it changes. I am convinced that Robin is like that, he is completely focused every day on his job. He loves football, he loves the game and as long as he is here he will do that."
Arsenal have already signed two new strikers in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud but are also said to be lining up Spain star Fernando Llorente were Van Persie to leave. MuEN
Foreign ownership in the Premier League – why so much and what does it mean?
The plight of Bill Kenwright, Robert Earl and Jon Woods is representative of many English owners. They bought in to Everton at a time when their wealth was, proportionate to the other owners, relatively impressive. Both Woods and Kenwright were born in Liverpool and grew up supporting Everton. And, like many English owners, their financial situations are now comparatively modest.
As it currently stands, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton and Sunderland are completely foreign owned.
On top of that, the Russian company Thames Sport Investment owns 51% of Reading and both Swansea and West Ham are part owned by foreign investors. So, out of the 20 Premier League teams, only seven are wholly owned by UK nationals.
This poses the questions: how long will it be before there are no English owners left and what will the consequences be of a completely foreign owned Premier League?
Clearly the main factor drawing foreign investors to the Premier League is the economic potential of owning part of such a profitable league.
The latest television rights deal for the Premier League was sold for a combined total of £3b for three seasons, and that’s just for broadcasting rights in the UK. The overseas rights are expected to go for around £2b for the same period.
If you compare this to other leagues it is clear to see just how highly our league is valued. The Bundesliga rights amount to around £1b less for the same period whilst the combined total in La Liga is £510m per season. That’s roughly half of the amount received by English clubs.
In fact the average club in La Liga will receive far less than that as the vast majority of that money goes to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
That leads us on to the second point. Because the Premier League shares the financial packages amongst their teams the league is far more competitive. This means the potential to buy a struggling team and improve it is far greater than it would be in leagues like Spain’s.
Shirt sponsorship is also higher than any other league in the world with €128m received last season by Premier League clubs. The next highest was the Bundesliga with €121m.
So, it is clear to see why overseas investors are attracted to the Premier League. However, if our league is so profitable why aren’t more English investors attracted to owning English clubs? The fact is that despite it being the most profitable league in the world it is still hard to turn a profit owning a football club. So, for wealthy individuals looking to own a football club England is clearly the most attractive prospect yet that individual still has to have extortionate amounts of money in the first place to think about buying a club.
Perhaps there just aren’t enough people in the UK who are both incredibly wealthy and fans of football. Moreover, with every new billionaire who buys in to the Premier League the requisite level of wealth an owner needs to succeed increases.
In reality, outside of the US, there are probably very few countries that do have enough billionaires to own every single top-flight club. Therefore it makes sense that wealthy individuals from different countries would relocate their passion for football to one country. That just happens to be us.
What, then, does this mean for the future of English football? That these foreign owners love football should not be in doubt. No owner would pour so much money in to something they had no interest in. However, some owners are definitely more preoccupied with the financial side than others and just because an owner may love football, it doesn’t mean they have an incredibly strong bond with the club they own. Unlike the fans who owned clubs in the past, unlike owners like Bill Kenwright, these foreign owners are still primarily looking out for themselves.
There is nothing wrong with foreign ownership per se. However, if these owners are not held accountable for the way in which they run these clubs then there could be dangerous issues. They, after all, have a moral responsibility to safeguard the future of these clubs for the fans. Portsmouth has served as a warning for this, and it should be a warning that is carefully heeded.
Another issue is that with so much foreign money coming in there could be a danger that wealthy English fans are forever priced out of owning part of the club they love. Finally, there is an issue, which not all English fans are against but is still a worrying prospect, with regards to moving games abroad. Just as some NFL games are now played in London at Wembley, American owners could look to play some Premier League games abroad.
The financial benefits of this might be a compelling argument but it is a dangerous road to travel down. Were it to become customary, how long would it be before games were exported to other nations?
These foreign owners may be called owners but they should be thought of as stewards. These clubs are ours. Morally, they belong to the fans. We should welcome their input as long as it benefits the English leagues. Many will argue that, considering these clubs are no longer under English ownership, it is too late to have a say in such issues yet in the Premier League we have a body that is able to provide a check on the owners. Let’s hope, for the sake of the future of English football, they exercise that right.
Hamish on Twitter @H_Mackay
[spoiler]Mario Balotelli seems to change girlfriends by the week. One thing that doesn't change is that they're all stunning.
Meet Vanessa Lawrens. The French model-actress-singer is Balotelli's newest fling after the two met in Ibiza,Spain -- the party capital of the Mediterranean. They've since been seen soaking up the sun on the island's beautiful beaches during the day, and tearing up the island's clubs after dark.
However, Lawrens may face some competition for "Super Mario." Balotelli's ex-girlfriend Rafaella Fico has claimed that Balotelli is the father of her unborn child, and is willing to take the paternity test to prove it.
Regardless, Balotelli seems to be enjoying himself and, when his girlfriend looks like this, who can blame him? We've collected some photos of Balotelli's latest -- in a long line -- of supermodel girlfriends
[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United fear Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie, 28, will cost £30m as Fergie battles rivals Man City and Juventus for the star forward. Van Persie has refused to sign a new deal with Arsenal 'Sportsmail Reporter
Arsenal's hierarchy are prepared to play hardball and have told the Dutchman he cannot leave for less than £20m. Daily Mirror
Alex Ferguson is considering an £8m bid for Everton defender Leighton Baines, after the Manchester United boss confirmed plans to bring in a new left-back this summer. Metro
Manchester United must "pay a little more" to land Lucas Moura, as Sao Paulo confirm they have rejected a £29m offer for the 19-year-old midfielder. 'Sportsmail Reporter
Luka Modric missed Tottenham's final training session ahead of their tour of the United States amid continued speculation linking the 26-year-old midfielder with Real Madrid. Guardian
Galatasaray have revealed they are in talks with Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, 31. Berbatov made just five league starts last season Metro
Former Leeds and Liverpool man Harry Kewell, 33, has issued a 'come and get me' plea to English clubs after quitting Melbourne Victory. talkShite
Inter Milan star Wesley Sneijder, 28, has turned down clubs in England, Russia and Turkey to stay with the Serie A giants. talkShite
Fulham and West Ham are rivalling Newcastle in the chase for FC Twente's Brazilian defender Douglas, 24, and all three have submitted bids. The Sun
Wigan have made a £3m offer for Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis but will have to increase their bid for the Spaniard, 27, to £4.25m. The Sun
Newly-promoted Southampton will make another offer for PSV'S Netherlands international striker Jeremain Lens, 24, after failing with a £5m bid. The Sun
West Brom have rejected a £4m bid for striker Peter Odemwingie, 31, from Qatari side Al-Gharafa. talkShite
Norwich City have made an increased offer for Leeds captain Robert Snodgrass, 24, as they look to reunite the midfielder with Bradley Johnson and Jonny Howson. Daily Mirror
Rangers manager Ally McCoist will step up efforts to sign targets like Craig Beattie, Ian Black and Fran Sandaza before a 12-month signing ban comes into place. The Sun
Rangers have opened talks with Dean Shiels, who has rejected a new deal with Kilmarnock, while fellow midfielder Steve Jennings is also a target after the Englishman's exit from Motherwell. Daily Express
Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng admits he would be interested in a move to English football following the decision to deny the new Rangers a place in the Scottish Premier League but says he is focusing on South Korea's Olympic campaign. Daily Telegraph
Scotland winger Matt Phillips is wanted by Sunderland, Everton, Aston Villa, Reading and Swansea City, but Blackpool plan to hold on to the 21-year-old. Daily Record
Kilmarnock have secured former Livingston striker Rory Boulding on a three-year contract. The Sun
Former Dundee United defender Mihael Kovacevic, who has left Zadar, and right-back Jon Bateson, released by Macclesfield, are expected to sign one-year contracts with Ross County today. The Sun
Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, 26, claims he will not be leaving the Magpies this summer, despite interest from clubs including Manchester United. Daily Mirror
Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has told his side to forget about being kings of Europe and instead focus on chasing down Premier League champions Manchester City. 'Sportsmail Reporter
Gareth Southgate turned down the chance to become the FA's technical director over concerns about the job description during lengthy negotiations. 'Sportsmail Reporter
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson thinks Michael Carrick, 31, is key to bringing the Champions League trophy back to Old Trafford. The Sun
United midfielder Darren Fletcher, 28, has dismissed concerns that his career is over. Daily Express
Fifa has decreed that Rangers will receive no compensation from Everton, Stoke, Sion and Norwich respectively for Steven Naismith, Jamie Ness, Kyle Lafferty and Steven Whittaker after the players left Ibrox following the club's financial crisis - but will receive £800,000 for Steven Davis after an agreement was reached with Southampton. Daily Record
The Scottish Football League has no plans to consider stripping League Cup titles from Rangers even if the club is found guilty of making undisclosed payments to players via Employment Benefit Trusts. The Herald
Sevco Scotland has agreed to pay all outstanding fines, football debts and court costs in return for the Scottish Football Association granting their new Rangers membership and a place in Division Three this season. The Herald
Manchester United struggle to get to grips with a tricky opponent on their pre-season tour in South Africa - a giant snake. Metro
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