Wenger still has his sights set on Ajax defender Trabelsi

ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has not given up hope of signing Ajax defender Hatem Trabelsi before the transfer window closes.

Wenger last night revealed he could make one further signing before the end of the month, with back-up to right-back Lauren the top priority.

Tunisian international Trabelsi has just one year left on his contract at Ajax and a deal looked to be on the cards earlier this summer but subsequently fell apart.

“It is still possible to resurrect that deal,” Wenger revealed, while confirming Arsenal would make a “maximum of one” new signing before the transfer window closes.

“It could be on the defensive side. We have only Lauren at the moment who has experience [at right-back].

Wenger said, although the club have been watching Valencia midfielder Miguel Angulo, there is “nothing concrete” about their interest as yet.

Equally, their evident interest in River Plate midfielder Javier Mascherano, looks likely to have ended with captain Patrick Vieira’s decision to stay at Highbury.

Wenger is also not exactly enamoured with the prospect of signing too many South American players at the moment, having just fallen out with the Brazilian Football Federation.

The Gunners manager had given Edu a three-week holiday, causing him to miss the start of the Premiership season, to recover from the effects of his involvement in the summer Copa America tournament with Brazil.

However, even though the midfielder was not due back at Highbury to begin pre-season training until August 17, Brazil still required him to join up for a friendly in Haiti.

The South American side then started Edu in the game, while Gilberto Silva also played the second half despite Wenger’s worries over his fitness.

The Frenchman declared: “It’s just unbelievable. I tried to protect Edu. He had a break and we haven’t seen him since May, when he went to play for Brazil in the Copa America.

“But then Brazil selected him after just one day’s training. It is unprofessional. I will make a formal protest because it is just unacceptable.

“Brazil have 200 players who could have played against Haiti - a match in which they were winning 6-0 after an hour! I try to help international managers and I try to understand as much as I can. I cannot understand this case.”

Wenger may have Nottingham Forest’s top-flight unbeaten league run of 42 games in his sights, but his over-riding aim is to emulate Brian Clough’s tally of two European Cups.

Having also won the last two league games of the 2002-03 season, their opening victory of this campaign took them to 41 top-flight games unbeaten.

Forest were undefeated in 42 consecutive First Division matches from November 20, 1977 to December 9, 1978, losing only to eventual champions Liverpool at Anfield.

The record has stood for more than 25 years, but Arsenal can match that feat by avoiding defeat against Middlesbrough at Highbury tomorrow while Blackburn visit north London next Wednesday.

Wenger declared: “What Nottingham Forest did under Brian Clough was unbelievable because of the size of the club.

“It would be great to match their record, but of course it’s even more of a challenge to win two European Cups like they did. The challenge for us is to get to another level together. That takes something special from everybody and we want to show we are ready to do that.”

Clough, who does not exactly lavish praise around freely, has certainly been impressed with Wenger, describing the Arsenal boss as an ‘icon’ and was moved to describe Arsenal as being “as close to perfection as any side I have seen”.