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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger questions Chelsea spending

Arsene Wenger
Wenger did not make any major signings during the January transfer window

Arsene Wenger has queried Chelsea's stance on Uefa's forthcoming financial rules after signing Fernando Torres and David Luiz having made a £70.9m loss.

The regulations, backed by Blues owner Roman Abramovich, demand that teams in European competitions break even over a rolling three-year period from 2012-13.

"Chelsea supported the financial fair play," Arsenal boss Wenger said.

"In the morning they announce a £70m loss, in the afternoon buy £75m worth of players. Where's the logic in that?"

Chelsea revealed their financial results for the year to June 2010 on Monday, with chief executive Ron Gourlay insisting the club were in "a strong position" to meet Uefa's initiatives.

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But later that day they broke the British transfer record with a reported £50m deal for Torres, and also completed the signing of Luiz from Benfica for about £21.3m.

It was Chelsea's biggest outlay since spending £95.8m in 2004 and will be represented in future financial accounts.

Yet both figures are trumped by the £111.3m that went on new players following Abramovich's arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2003.

"For a while, Abramovich was a bit in no man's land where nobody could really guess whether he wanted to still invest or not," stated Wenger, who made no major signings in the January transfer window.

"Certainly, that has changed.

"He has decided to put big money in again, and that tells you that certainly in the summer more will come. He is back to full investment.

"If you don't invest for a while, it looks as if maybe he is not as involved in it any more, doesn't like it as much - but when you invest £75m it means more will come.

"It looks Chelsea are back on the market, which they were not for a while."

The arrivals of Torres and Luiz will serve to bolster a Chelsea squad which captain John Terry has suggested was lacking in depth.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti led the Blues to a maiden Double last season but after making a blistering start this time round, they have slipped 10 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester United.

Ancelotti's men currently sit fourth in the table, a point behind third-place Manchester City and five adrift of Arsenal in second.



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see also
Uefa warning after transfer spree
01 Feb 11 |  Europe
Arsenal 2-1 Everton
01 Feb 11 |  Premier League
Fabregas to avoid FA punishment
02 Feb 11 |  Premier League
Chelsea pay record fee for Torres
31 Jan 11 |  Chelsea
Chelsea complete signing of Luiz
01 Feb 11 |  Chelsea
�70.9m loss for champions Chelsea
01 Feb 11 |  Business
Uefa approves new spending plans
15 Sep 09 |  Europe
Russian businessman buys Chelsea
02 Jul 03 |  Business


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