Arsenal Transfer News: World-Class Players Only This Summer, Says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger will opt for quality over quantity when making additions to his Arsenal squad this summer, insisting only "world-class players" will be looked at.

The French manager saw his side extend their unbeaten run to 10 games with the 3-1 victory over Hull City on Monday night, pushing the Gunners to joint-second with a game in-hand over Manchester City.

Confident performances from Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil summed up a team who are quickly gaining momentum. Wenger wants to capitalise on this by bringing in revered talent, as he told Sky Sports:

"We have a big squad—the basis is there. We do not need to buy a number of players. If we can get top, world-class players we will look at it, but we have a very strong squad already in number and we want to stay together and start well next season."

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Wenger remains optimistic over the future, per Audioboom:

The Gunners remain 13 points behind Chelsea, who wrapped up the title with their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. Wenger's men have been remarkably consistent in the final weeks of the campaign, though, and they have recently improved in matches against the elite.

An increasingly dogged Arsenal beat City at the Etihad Stadium, knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup and recently drew with Chelsea in north London. A fast-paced attacking flow sees Arsenal quickly progress up the pitch, while the added work rate of players such as Sanchez and Ramsey means Francis Coquelin isn't getting overrun in midfield.

Yet, it is typical of Arsenal to get supporters excited over a few months without delivering a full season of top quality. They led the Premier League title race well into December last year but fell away to eventually finish fourth on 79 points. They will all but guarantee second with the same number this year.

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John Hartson, a former striker at the club, believes Wenger is right to invest in quality. He spoke on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, as reported by Nick Rostron-Pike of talkSPORT: "Arsenal have to invest. Arsene Wenger needs to get the cheque book out again," said Hartson. "Arsenal's squad is not as strong as Manchester City or Chelsea. They need to go and get the best players out there."

One of the players currently linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium is Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, as reported by the Mail on Sunday (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express). Hartson thinks he would be a tremendous signing, per Rostron-Pike: "Petr Cech is only 32, so he's still got seven, eight or even ten years left. Goalkeepers can go on forever. He's got great quality."

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David Wright of the Express suggested Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Yohan Cabaye could be the subject of a £10 million bid from Wenger. He also reports Lyon hitman Alexandre Lacazette, who currently leads the Ligue 1 goalscoring stakes with 27 this season, is "being monitored" by the club.

B/R UK's James McNicholas recently outlined how the Gunners can pose a serious threat to Chelsea next season:

Wenger has often managed to build Arsenal squads who fall just short. He's currently one or two top-bracket players away from possessing his most exciting squad in years. The purchases of Sanchez and Ozil over the last two summers signalled what should be a more successful era for the club.

Arsenal's style will no doubt play a major role in attracting further match-winners across pre-season, suggesting next year's title race may feature more than one competitor.