Wenger questions Chelsea’s logic

Soccer: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has criticised Chelsea for supporting the Uefa financial fair play rules, while still …

Soccer:Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has criticised Chelsea for supporting the Uefa financial fair play rules, while still spending over €82 million on transfer deadline day.

The new rules, which require clubs to essentially 'break even' if they want to compete in Uefa competitions, do not come in to force until the 2012/13 season.

However, Wenger still found time to hit out at Chelsea after Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Everton last night.

He said: "Chelsea supported Uefa's financial fair-play proposals but in the morning they announced an €82m loss and in the afternoon they buy €88m worth of players. Where's the logic in that?

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"It's hard to guess. Officially they vote for financial fair play but they can explain why they have done this much better than I can.

"He (Abramovich) can tell you why but that's how you can read it from the outside. If you don't invest for a while, it looks as if you're not as involved in it any more. That he doesn't like it as much. But €88m means more will come.

"Abramovich was a bit in no man's land where nobody could guess if he wanted to still invest or not. He has been like that for a long time but that has changed. He has decided to put big money in again and that tells you in the summer more will come. He is back to full investment."

The team Wenger put out against Everton cost around €12 million less than Fernando Torres, a point that seemed to give the Arsenal boss some pleasure.

"That's why I sat back in my armchair on the bench and watched with satisfaction," he said.

"Chelsea and Manchester City are obviously special cases. It looks like Chelsea are back on the market, which they weren't for a while. But they have the financial potential to do this."