Arsène Wenger has performed a major U-turn on financial fair play (FFP), calling for the regulations to be scrapped. The Arsenal manager, once a staunch advocate of FFP, now believes clubs have found ways to circumvent Uefa's rules, rendering them unenforceable. He argues that if the Premier League is to remain the world's best, it must revert to having no financial limits.
Wenger's comments come amid a summer of record spending, including Paris Saint-Germain's £198m purchase of Neymar and a £166m deal for Kylian Mbappé. La Liga president Javier Tebas has complained to Uefa about PSG and Manchester City's spending, but Wenger feels the rules are ineffective. 'Financial fair play raises new questions,' he said. 'At the moment, it looks like we have created rules that cannot be respected. There is nothing worse than when you create rules that are not respected.'
Wenger also suggested that Liverpool may have tapped up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before his £35m move to Anfield. The midfielder played for Arsenal in a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on 27 August, four days before the transfer. Wenger said he did not know if Liverpool had spoken to Oxlade-Chamberlain before the game, but added that tapping up is now 'inevitable' in modern football.
The Arsenal boss reiterated his support for closing the summer transfer window before the Premier League season starts, to avoid distractions. 'You sit there before the games and in players' minds, they have no clarity,' he said. 'Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?'
