Money problems are a constant in football. Most managers complain about a lack of it, of being outbid by richer rivals, or that players are demanding too much in their weekly wage packet. But <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9BcnNlbmUgV2VuZ2Vy" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9BcnNlbmUgV2VuZ2Vy">Arsene Wenger</a> is the exception in much that he does. His problem is not a shortage of funds, but a surfeit. The years of parsimony and penury are finally at end, the economising required to underwrite the building of Emirates Stadium at an end. Wenger is a spender again. Or he wants to be, anyway. Yet this has been a rocky landing on higher ground. <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQXJzZW5hbA==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQXJzZW5hbA==">Arsenal's</a> greater resources have brought them neither a marquee buy nor a series of signings thus far. Rather, the often sure-footed Wenger has been oddly uncertain on his return to the ranks of the big buyers. A veteran has appeared a novice. His original £30 million (Dh165.9m) offer for <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9MdWlzIFN1YXJleg==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9MdWlzIFN1YXJleg==">Luis Suarez</a> was a case in point. It undervalued the Uruguayan striker, ignored his publicly stated desire to move to Real Madrid and came despite the reality that, if Suarez is to leave Liverpool, the club would prefer his destination was not a domestic rival. In short, it was doomed to failure. If Suarez does eventually go to the Bernabeu, Arsenal will resemble a stalking horse, drawing attention before the serious bidders entered the market. If so, it would emphasise the gulf between them and the elite. Then there is the instance of Wenger's interest in <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9XYXluZSBSb29uZXk=" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL1Blb3BsZS9TcG9ydC9Gb290YmFsbC9XYXluZSBSb29uZXk=">Wayne Rooney</a>. Once again, it indicates his desire to make a signing that would be a statement of intent and would raise morale among a fanbase accustomed to waving premier players goodbye, rather than welcoming them. Again, however, it betrays a lack of realism. When Rooney asked to leave Manchester United in 2010, he cited an apparent lack of ambition at a club who had been Champions League finalists 17 months earlier. Arsenal, eight years without a trophy, scarcely seem to tick his boxes. The much-discussed Gonzalo Higuain is a less-glamorous but likelier alternative in Wenger's quest for a world-class finisher. The Argentine's return of 107 goals in 190 league games for Real Madrid is outstanding; his slowness in signing for Arsenal hinted at a reluctance to commit to a club who have been distanced by the best. Yet if Arsenal are prisoners of their past, Wenger is seeking to break free of his. A manager who long refused to pay transfer fees for players in their thirties also contemplated a move for Manchester City's Gareth Barry. A policy of only buying those whose resale value did not deteriorate immediately ended in inauspicious fashion with the addition of Sebastien Squillaci in 2010. Since then, the average age of arrivals has gone up and Santi Cazorla, the best player Wenger has recruited for many a year, was approaching his 28th birthday when he joined. It forms a contrast with his initial, inspired buys. Then, as now, Wenger was targeting disgruntled players at distinguished clubs. The difference was that, in Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, he proved a brilliant talent-spotter. If it is easier to identify Rooney or Suarez, it is also harder to sign them. And so Arsenal are on their pre-season tour without any additions. If it prompts fears of another desperate, deadline-day splurge, as in 2011, the good news is that Wenger's budget is bigger and his aims are greater. Yet with every day of delay, Arsenal's allure remains in doubt and Wenger's bid for a superstar drags on. Having accumulated money brilliantly, the struggle is to spend it. Follow us