Much has been made of Arsene Wenger and his reign at Arsenal since he last lifted a trophy in 2005. Before, the man known as the Professor could do no wrong, guiding Arsenal to an unbeaten season in 2004 and numerous trophies before that, he has been ridiculed in numerous quarters of the footballing world; there remains questions over the capabilities of both Arsene and his team. The question is, with an influx of new revenue and declarations from Ivan Gazadis that the club are willing to “spend big” will the 2013/14 season see Arsenal finally lifting a trophy?
The amounts spent by Arsenal in relation to its competitors has been a factor ridiculed in a time which has seen huge influxes of wealth and spending into both Manchester clubs and Chelsea which has effectively bought their respective teams success. Arsenal have been notoriously prude in the transfer market, and have sold star players over the past few years, notably Fabregas, Nasri and van Persie for a combined total of £75m, while bringing in players for far less eye-flattering amounts which has raised questions over the ambitions of the club to which some claim Arsenal has become a “selling club”. This is a factor which needs to be rectified in order for the fans to see Arsenal in the light they once did, and also to be able to attract players of the calibre of the top teams and be able to keep them there.
In recent years the club has sold Fabregas, Nasri and van Persie for a combined total of £75m
Nevertheless, Arsenal chief-executive Ivan Gazadis says that it is now Arsenal’s time to “spend big” and the club are in a financial position to do so, with the move into the Emirates from Highbury an expensive but necessary move to enhance the commercial revenues of the club to compete with clubs from around the world. There has been a host of big names linked to the North London club, notably Higuain, Jovetic, Rooney and the potential return of Fabregas. All these names carry with them big price tags, and surely show a shift of intent from the club as it seeks to consolidate its position at the top of the tree once again.
The wage structure of the club is also set to be broken in a bid to attract these type of players, another sign that the club is once again ready to compete with the big boys of the English and European football, however the ethos of the club is unlikely to allow mercenaries to be hired, and Arsene will undoubtedly have the final say in who he wants in his team.
How the competition will reinforce their ranks will undoubtedly play a part in Arsenal’s quest for a trophy; with the disappointment of finishing so many points behind their neighbours, Manchester City have already strengthened their ranks with the likes of Jesus Navas and Fernandinho in a bid to claw back lost ground. United have been linked to Everton duo Fellani and Baines, while Chelsea are supposedly touting Cavani as a possible figurehead for a reconfigured strike force and the return of Jose Mourinho an undoubted bid to bring back the previous glories and mirage of stability to the club. I expect to see Arsenal put distance between themselves and their north London rivals this season, but the size of that gap will depend on whether Bale stays or goes.
Bale has inicated that he wants to stay at Spurs but will he?
Question marks will undoubtedly linger over whether Arsene Wenger is the right man to lead onto greater successes in the near future; the past few years have seen him linked to jobs at Real Madrid, and recently in France with PSG and Monaco as potential suitors. However, Arsene’s commitment has always been unwavering and when everyone doubted the creditentials of his team to make top four for the past two seasons and yet his has delivered the club an unprecedented 16 years in Europe’s elite footballing competition; but whether he can elevate the club higher than 3rd or 4th remains to be seen. Even with the right funds in the past, expensive errors have been made, notably Arshavin, Reyes and Julio Baptista.
Only time will tell whether this will be a turning point for the club; it is sure to be make or break with Arsene heading into the final year of his contract, and may be the last straw for even the most loyal Arsene fans if he is unable to deliver this time around. What is certain is that this summer is a crucial time for the club, with the others seemingly in transition, this is the perfect time to strike.
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