Arsenal legend Lee Dixon has urged Unai Emery to convince the board for extra funds to spend in the summer.
It is thought that Unai Emery will only have £40million to spend this summer in the transfer market – much less than their top-four rivals, as well as other clubs who will be fighting for their place in the top half of the league next season.
The Gunners narrowly missed out on their two chances of Champions League qualification – firstly in the league and then in the final of the Europa league against Chelsea, who had already secured their top four place.
“It’s a huge summer for Arsenal,” said club legend Dixon at a special screening of the new documentary, Diego Maradona, in London on Monday night (via talkSPORT).
“It was always going to be a big summer regardless of where they finished and whether they got to the Europa League or not.
“I think Emery knew this season was going to end like this, to a point where we either got into the top four and got Champions League football or we didn’t quite. We failed on that front.
“So he’s got to look accordingly, and try to convince the board and powers that be to give him enough money to improve the squad.
“It does need improving in all departments, and lets hope we can keep hold of our best players in order to do that.”
OPINION
Arsenal really must improve their squad in order to challenge for the top-four next season. With all of their rivals able to out-spend them, the Gunners will struggle to compete and could quite easily see themselves fall out of the top six. They have already lost Aaron Ramsey – one of their best assets on a free transfer to Juventus – and they could also have problems keeping Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette if the board are not seen to be making the side competitive again. Arsenal will also almost certainly be left with Mezut Ozil because of his current wages and getting the most out of him next season will be key for Emery. Ironically, Tottenham’s squad was built without much money but with a very healthy dollop of shrewd transfer business. Arsenal will need to buck the trend of the past few windows if it hopes to go this route.