Arsene Wenger has insisted Arsenal are ready to carry on spending in the January transfer window.

Gunners boss Wenger has already brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan, is closing in on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but made it very clear they got more cash to buy more reinforcements this month.

Arsenal are keen on West Brom defender Jonny Evans and Mainz defender Abdou Diallo and that is an area where they are still looking to strengthen and Wenger claimed “a lot will happen” yet.

Wenger said: “It depends on the opportunities we have. We can buy players. We are busy on all fronts, so overall I think we are open-minded. Every opportunity we have to strengthen our squad, we’ll take.

Abdou Diallo is on Arsenal's radar (
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REX/Shutterstock)

“If people want to buy some of our players, we have [examined that] - players who have less chances to play, we have done it, who deserve to play because they are great players, who have left us.

“After that, we’ll see at the end. There’s still a lot that will happen as usual on the transfer market.”

Wenger actually defended Alexis Sanchez despite his defection to Old Trafford in the swap deal with Mkhitaryan but was cagey on their efforts to get Borussia Dortmund star Aubameyang.

Wenger claimed that Sanchez was still committed until the last moment of his Arsenal career, denying claims by Arsenal legend Martin Keown that the Chile star was a mercenary.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on Arsenal's radar (
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)
Arsene Wenger is int he market for more signings (
Image:
AFP)

“Alexis is a great guy and has always been committed, did the negotiations go well or not well?” said Wenger.

“It has never affected him and I would just like to remind you I took him to the hotel on the night before the Crystal Palace game and he was completely focused and ready to play the next day until I told him, look you can go home, the deal is over the line.

“So, that’s what he did. No matter how the negotiations went he was always focused on football.

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“Of course the financial aspect is important. He could combine both. I think he’s going to a great club and he gets a great contract, so you can understand that a professional player can combine both aspects.”

Wenger was also asked about Aubameyang but feedback came down the line and interrupted the live TV broadcast.

Sanchez in United colours (
Image:
Man Utd via Getty)
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“That was him, maybe [laughter], standing on the line,” laughed Wenger. “Confident or not confident? I don’t know. At the moment, we are not close to doing any deal, whether it’s Aubameyang or anyone else.

“You never know how close they are. These are the kind of things that, at the moment, are one of the possible movements. We have other things in mind as well and we have plenty of opportunities in different positions. The final decision is not made.”

Wenger again did not deny that Olivier Giroud could be involved in a potential player-plus-cash swap deal.

But Wenger, who will be without Danny Welbeck (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (illness), insisted that he has no doubt that Mkhitaryan will be a good signing despite his disappointing time at Old Trafford.

Olivier Giroud could be on his way out (
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)

“I have no doubt about his attitude, his commitment, his desire to do well,” said Wenger. “He suffered a little bit maybe from the competition he had their and overall that is his challenge, my challenge is to get him to express his talent completely, that we know is absolutely right because he has done extremely well, so he has a new challenge that we want to help him be successful in.

“I don’t know that very well, I will know much more about that in the next two to three weeks. That depends first of all on the team performances and on his own fitness and performances in training as well.”

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