Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery ‘taken by surprise’ after learning THIS about club - Tim Sherwood
ARSENAL boss Unai Emery would have been taken by surprise to learn the club could not spend in the January transfer window, claims former Tottenham and Blackburn midfielder Tim Sherwood.
Emery made the revelation two weeks ago that there was no money to spend on new signings this month.
The head coach said the Gunners can only bring in players on loan deals.
Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez looks the most likely to come in, with Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez also a target.
Sherwood believes Emery is the right man for Arsenal and will be given plenty of time by the board.
I would suggest he’s been taken by surprise to realise that in his first [January] window there’s only going to be loan signings
However, he doubts whether the Spaniard would have known there would be no money to spend already.
“It will be interesting [to know] what he was told coming into the club,” Sherwood said on Sky Sports.
“He must have felt there would be money to spend.
“I would suggest he’s been taken by surprise to realise that in his first [January] window there’s only going to be loan signings to the football club, when they’re desperate for defenders.
"But that seems to be the case.
“I’m sure Arsenal are going to give him time. They’re used to that, they don’t like sacking managers.
“We saw that with the previous one, it did drag on a wee bit.
“But I think they’ve made the right decision, the guy is good, they had an unbelievable unbeaten run, 21 games or whatever it was, which was fantastic.
“For them to be challenging right up the top of the league and to be real contenders for the top four, I think they need to get some consistency in there.
“They’re going to need players, of course they are.”
Arsenal are in action this Friday when they host Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup (7.55pm).