Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger points to rebuilding after Thierry Henry exit as evidence there is life after Robin van Persie

Arsène Wenger has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry’s sale to Barcelona in 2007 as evidence that he can successfully rebuild his team after the departure of key players.

The Arsenal manager has pleaded for patience as Arsenal prepare for life without Dutch international Robin van Persie after enduring a second successive stalemate in the Premier League.

His new signings Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, who cost £24 million between them, are yet to score. But while Wenger admitted his team are still in transition, he insists the two strikers will come good.

“Look, if you want to convince me that we lost an exceptional player [Van Persie], you are wasting your time. I was the first to say that. We have to find a way to get around that by sharing more of the goals than we did before with Van Persie. I think we can do that.

“Giroud scored 20, Podolski scored 20, we can get some goals, I am convinced, from Diaby and Ramsey and Walcott and Gervinho. So we have, of course, to share that around a little bit. I would just like to say, I had the same questions when Thierry Henry left, with Robin van Persie. Exactly the same. And at the start of last season I had to answer, 'Why do you play Van Persie at centre forward, he’s not a centre forward?’ So you always have to take that into perspective. What for me is positive is that you feel there is potential there.”

Wenger dismissed claims that he will attempt to sign Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tioté before the transfer window closes, and it seems Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, will be the more active manager this week.

Pulis has already recruited Michael Kightly, Jamie Ness and American Geoff Cameron. He is close to agreeing a deal with Rangers to sign Cameron’s compatriot, United States international midfielder Maurice Edu. “We watched Geoff quite a few times and he’s a good player,” Pulis said.
“I was out in America and he played three games there and I was impressed with the standard. We’ve also taken Maurice Edu.”
Stoke are also set to revise a loan deal for Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone and remain interested in his team-mate Michael Dawson. “I hope this week will be busy because we have to freshen it up,” he said. “We should know whether a few players are coming in or going on Monday.”