Reliable journalist: Wenger wanted to buy Antoine Griezmann, move blocked at top

By Tony Hughes

Transfer expert Emanuele Giulianelli has claimed that Arsene Wenger wanted to purchase Antoine Griezmann this summer and was willing to meet the release clause, but was blocked by the club hierarchy.

The Arsenal manager has come under increasing criticism this summer after apparently not being willing to meet the market prices of marquee names.

However, in an interview with Giulianelli released on the Proper Sport Twitter account, the journalist claims that it was an unnamed club official that blocked the move for Atletico Madrid's Griezmann.

"Truly Wenger was ready to pay the buy-out clause and bring the player to Arsenal," said Giulianelli, "but at the top of the club he wasn't given the funds for Griezmann as he was too big a business risk for them.

"Wenger is not the man who decided not to spend the money, it was someone at the top of the club, I don't know exactly who."

The news might annoy Arsenal fans as they finally have some good news to celebrate in the transfer market as the Gunners moved closer to signing striker Lucas Perez.

The Sun claimed on Friday evening that the Deportivo La Coruna striker has completed his medical successfully, and the club should make an official announcement regarding the transfer soon.

Perez would be available for selection after the international break and would have a fortnight to acclimatise before the Gunners' next Premier League match against Southampton.

In other Arsenal transfer news, this is the £40m striker that the Gunners really wanted to sign this summer.