Arsenal can win the league without Suarez –Wenger

Arsene Wenger is confident Arsenal can challenge for the Premier League title even if they do not sign Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.

Wenger has made only one addition to his first-team squad this close-season, bringing in striker Yaya Sanogo from Auxerre, but is keen to lure Suarez to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal launched a bid of just over £40m to attempt to secure the Uruguay international’s services, but Liverpool are understandably reluctant to part ways with their star forward.

Still, despite Arsenal’s lack of progress in their pursuit of Suarez, Wenger has high hopes for the new season.

“Yes, of course. I am confident,” the Frenchman said.

“Why should I sit here and say to you we can absolutely not win the title with the players we have?”

Wenger is not feeling the pressure to bolster his squad, and insists any future negotiations for Suarez will be kept private.

“I never said we have made a bid to Liverpool; now I can tell you we have made one, so at least that is some information. All the rest, I would like to keep to us,” he added.

“If we progress in that situation, we will inform you. At the moment, that is where we are.

“We will treat every transfer with the rules we have always done until now, that is in a fair and respectful way. That is our club, that other clubs do differently is their problem, but we will be completely faithful to the values we think are important here.

“We have one month in front of us and we will work very hard to strengthen our squad, without naming any specific names, because I do not believe that will make negotiations easier.”

Wenger also hit back at Brendan Rodgers after the Liverpool manager insisted Arsenal’s bid for Luis Suarez fell well short of the player’s valuation.

Rodgers claimed Suarez’s qualities meant he should be valued in similar terms to Gareth Bale, the Tottenham forward who has attracted a near £100m approach from Real Madrid.