Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Talks Gunners Budget, More Ahead of Summer

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed the club’s majority shareholder Stan Kroenke to fund some significant purchases in the transfer window, with the Gunners looking to build on their second-place finish in the Premier League.

Arsenal moved ahead of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the campaign after beating Aston Villa, meaning they were runners-up behind Leicester City.

And the Gunners manager thinks he will get the support to bolster the squad ahead of the 2016-17 term, per BBC Sport (h/t James Benge of the London Evening Standard):

"

[Kroenke] is completely behind myself and the board investing as much money as we want. It has to be in respect of a balanced budget, we have resources but the problem is finding players. Everybody has money in England and they’re all after good players.

The good players aren’t legion, you have to be shrewd and be a little bit lucky.

"

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Wenger received criticism last summer for his dealings in the transfer market, as the Gunners were the only side in European football’s top five leagues not to land an outfield player. Goalkeeper Petr Cech was viewed as a shrewd capture, although he wasn’t enough to bridge the gap from title pretenders to title challengers.

Indeed, even though Arsenal did move ahead of Spurs at the final hurdle, their local rivals mounted a title push of more clout.

As these numbers from Squawka Football show, the Gunners are just short in both an attacking and defensive sense:

Perhaps, with one year left on his contract, Wenger will be keen to splash big money this summer and launch a significant assault on top spot in what could be his last season at the club.

Some supporters, as was evident during protests in the recent game against Norwich City, want the Frenchman gone after he failed to deliver the title in a season in which their usual rivals crumbled.

However, the issue remains a divisive one, with some happy with the job that Wenger continues to do at the Emirates Stadium.

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"I believe that no matter how long my contract is I will give my maximum until its last day,” said Wenger about his future. “We have to see where we stand in a year’s time, we’ll decide at the end of next season."

As former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft noted here, despite the frustrations this term, this has been one of the club’s best finishes in the league table for a long time:

Still, it’s clear the fans demand more, and another summer in which Arsenal are passive in the transfer window will not go down well.

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While Wenger continues to excel in various aspects of management, there are perennial problems with his team that he’s failed to address.

It’s clear Arsenal need another commanding centre-back; a forceful, dynamic presence in midfield; and, although Olivier Giroud continues to split the fanbase, an upgrade at the point of the attack.

Based on the aforementioned quotes, the money is there for the manager to plug these holes in his squad.

Of course, it’s important Arsenal do bring in the right kind of player—that Wenger pays such attention the minutiae of transfer dealings is one of his virtues. However, three or four high-calibre footballers must come in to prevent this team enduring familiar failings again.