Arsenal: Arsene Wenger half-right on ‘bright future’

Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal have a ‘bright future’. On that, he’s right. He then proclaimed that they will challenge for the Premier League title with two or three addition. On that, he might not be so accurate.

Arsene Wenger has managed his last game for Arsenal football club. That is a very strange sentence to write indeed. As someone who has never seen this managed by anyone else other than Wenger, it is a little unsettling to think that he will not be here next season. But that is where we are.

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And as is ever the case the relentlessly forward-moving world of football, the gaze of the fanbase begins to turn to the future, to the new manager, to the potential summer recruits, to the state of the team next season.

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Wenger, though, has one last thing to see before he departs for good. When asked about the future of the club after Sunday’s era-ending 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town, Wenger stated his belief that Arsenal are in an excellent position to grow, develop, and begin to challenge for honours that had recently seemed beyond them:

"“I believe I had an impact on the club as a whole because the club today is a strong position. We have a new stadium and training ground all paid <…> I see a bright future for my successor because the team has a good attitude and has quality. We need two or three additions and after that I believe that the club will compete for the Premier League.”"

To an extent, Wenger makes some good points. Certainly, the Emirates and London Colney give the Gunners some of the best facilities in world football, facilities that are now not having a drain on the finances in the transfer window. There is a good ‘attitude’ and ‘quality’ in this current team. The whole organisation is in a strong and healthy position to now move forward. But then he says that with ‘two or three additions’ this team is capable of competing for the Premier League. It is at this point that I have trouble agreeing with him.

Unfortunately, Arsenal need far more than just two or three additions. Goalkeeper, centre-half, both full-back positions, defensive midfield, central midfield, and winger are all holes that you could make a very good argument for requiring significant investment this summer. By my count, that is at least six or seven top-quality players. There is no way that the budget is available for such a spending spree.

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So yes, there is a ‘bright future’ ahead for this club. And yes, the infrastructure that is in place is promising. But even now, even as he is leaving, Wenger is naively optimistic in the assessment of the team’s needs. That is the way that he has always been. I guess he just never changes.