Wenger speaks on Ozil’s ‘move’ to Barcelona

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has dismissed speculations that Mesut Ozil is set to sign for La Liga giants, Barcelona.

Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season and Barca have emerged as a possible destination for the Germany playmaker.

However, Wenger is uninterested in speaking about the possibility of a move during the January transfer window, along with the future of Alexis Sanchez.

“What kind of control can I have over that [speculation]? All these people have agents who can talk to anybody,” Wenger said.

“That doesn’t disturb people, that happens all through their career. I have no concerns. I am more concerned about the team performance.

“Ozil and Alexis are praised when the team is doing well because of them, and when the team doesn’t do well they get more criticism. I’m more concerned that the team performances are strong performances.”

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Football clubs spend $4.71bn in transfer window – FIFA

The close-season transfer window saw $4.71 billion (3.96 billion euros) spent worldwide, over three quarters of which were from the top five European leagues, FIFA announced on Thursday.

Paris Saint-Germain’s world-record signing of Neymar from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($264 million) dominated the headlines, but many of Europe’s other big clubs also broke their own transfer records.

“Between June 1 and September 1, 7,590 international transfers were completed worldwide,” FIFA said in a statement.

“Global spending reached $4.71 billion, meaning clubs spent almost as much during those three months as they had in the whole of 2016 ($4.79 billion).”

PSG also signed teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe from Monaco on a season-long loan, with an option to make him the second-most expensive player of all-time for 180 million euro.

Largely down to PSG, France saw the biggest increase in international transfer spending, with its clubs spending $604.1 million, an increase of 250 percent on last summer.

Five-time European champions Bayern Munich and Barcelona also broke their club records for Corentin Tolisso and Ousmane Dembele respectively.

FIFA’s report found that clubs in Europe’s top five leagues spent $3.67 billion, a new transfer-window record.

“Once again, clubs from the Big 5 (England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy) took centre stage, completing 21.2 percent of the total incoming transfers and spending 77.9 percent of the total global spend,” football’s world governing body added.

England saw the most money spent on players, with a total amount of $1.4 billion more than double that of any other country.

The chaotic nature of the transfer window has seen calls for reforms, with English Premier League clubs voting to end their window before the start of the 2017-18 season.

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'HE'S NO LONGER WITH THE BEST' - WENGER QUESTIONS NEYMAR'S DECISION TO LEAVE BARCELONA FOR PSG

The Arsenal boss feels financial reward or the desire to become a central figure encouraged the Brazilian to leave Barcelona for PSG

Many football stars aspire to play alongside the best talent in the world but Neymar "decided to go the other way", according to Arsene Wenger.

Paris Saint-Germain pulled off a stunning coup by luring Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record €222 million in August.

Neymar 12/1 Champions League top scorerHe has been joined by Kylian Mbappe at Parc des Princes, having sacrificed the chance to continue his fruitful partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in attack at Camp Nou.

Arsenal manager Wenger, speaking to beIN SPORTS, acknowledged his surprise that a global talent in the prime of his career would choose to leave the La Liga giants.

"Neymar never expressed exactly in his statement the reasons of his move, because there is always a huge desire for the players to play with the best players," he said.

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"He decided to go the other way, so that is… for financial reasons, or for reasons that he thinks Paris Saint-Germain is tomorrow's club and will take over from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

"Or maybe for individual reasons, such as maybe he wants to become the player that the team turns around, and to be acknowledged as the best player in the world."

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Chelsea revive Fernando Llorente interest? Transfer news and gossip

Chelsea are reportedly ready to revive their interest in Swansea striker Fernando Llorente.

The Premier League champions are set to make a concrete bid for the Spanish striker before Thursday's transfer deadline, according the Independent .

Antonio Conte worked with the striker at Juventus and feels he will be perfect back-up and mentor for Alvaro Morata.

The Swans dug their heels in when Conte went in for the striker in the last window, but with Wilfried Bony nearing a return to the Liberty Stadium, they may be more willing to do a deal this time out.

Conte also wants to bring in a new midfielder and a wing-back before the window slams shut later this week.

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