The Independent

Emery prepared to wait to land first-choice targets

- PETER HALL CHARLOTTE

Arsenal manager Unai Emery said he is happy to be patient in the transfer market and will wait for the right player to become available.

The Gunners head coach was speaking after watching his side make it two wins from two in the Internatio­nal Champions Cup with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in Charlotte.

Emery was asked about the prospect of having to wait another season to be able to call on French defender William Saliba, who is poised to complete a £27m move to Arsenal but remain on loan with St Etienne until

the end of the season.

And although Emery would prefer to have him available as soon as possible, the Spaniard is willing to play the waiting game in order to land his first-choice targets as opposed to signing back-up players.

“Really I am with patience because we want to choose the best solution,” Emery said. “Some players are very expensive and we are waiting for this possibilit­y.

“We don’t want now to go to the second line of players.

“We are waiting. We have very good players. We have very good young players.

“We are aware also that we need to improve some players in this squad. I want to sign one, two, three or four players only if we can be sure they are coming to improve our team.”

Emery, however, said there were a number of possibilit­ies floating around and he was in constant contact with sporting director Edu and head of football Raul Sanllehi, while they also spoke with the club’s owners the Kroenke family.

“There are a lot of names. The club is working, Edu is very close to me and Raul,” Emery said.

“We speak every day.”

 ?? (Getty) ?? Emery is prepared to wait for the players he wants
(Getty) Emery is prepared to wait for the players he wants
 ?? (AFP/Getty) ?? Saliba is expected to join Arsenal in the next few days
(AFP/Getty) Saliba is expected to join Arsenal in the next few days

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