Despite the criticisms he received from fans last season, Arsene Wenger has told Arsenal fans to expect no more than three signings this summer despite finishing outside the top four for the first time under his leadership.
Wenger is under immense pressure to deliver to seriously compete for the Premier League title next season after signing a new two-year deal following the club’s FA Cup triumph.
He has managed to hold on to his job despite significant protests and has been given the opportunity to build for the future.
However, he has cooled any talk of a large-scale overhaul, telling BeIN Sports that a ‘maximum of two or three’ signings will be made.
‘We cannot spend as much as many other clubs because some clubs have external resources that allow them to be basically unlimited,’ he added.
‘We can spend money because we have managed the club well. Let’s not forget the amount of money spent is not a guarantee of success.
‘We have to be clear what we understand as a big signing. Is [Rob] Holding a big signing for you or not?
‘When you buy a player for £40m, everybody will have at the start a positive judgement. When you buy him for £2m, he can’t be good?
‘That means a big signing is not necessarily linked with the amount of money spent.’
In a summer when both Manchester clubs are expected to spend over £200m each this summer, these comments will not go down well with Arsenal fans who are afraid that without the lure of Champions League football next season that the Gunners will struggle to attract the kind of top quality player needed to close to the gap on champions Chelsea.