Arsenal: Emmanuel Petit nails board to cross

Emmanuel Petit has questioned where Arsenal are going with a £60 million transfer budget this summer. His scrutiny nails the board to the cross. Without Arsene Wenger to protect them, answers will come soon enough.

Arsenal consistently claim that they want to challenge for titles and trophies. From Arsene Wenger, throughout his time at the club, all the way through to the players, Stan Kroenke, Ivan Gazidis and now Unai Emery, Wenger’s successor in his introductory press conference, there has been a plethora of individuals claim that challenging is the aim of this club.

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And yet, while their words may say one thing, their actions say a very different thing, especially in the transfer market. Just take last season as an example. Arsenal, in terms of net spend, actually made a profit across the summer and winter window. It is no surprise, then, that they slipped to sixth in the table.

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Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t look as the departure of Wenger is going to change anything. The most prominent reports in the media of a potential transfer budget have quoted figures in the region of £50 million and £60 million plus player sales. Emmanuel Petit is not happy.

The former Arsenal midfielder questioned how such a kitty allows this club to rival the likes of the Manchester clubs and now even Liverpool:

"“When I hear about the amount of money Emery has to spend, I can’t believe it. Where are you going with £60m? You’re going nowhere. With that amount of money, you can put the best manager in the world on the sideline and the team won’t change much. There is quality at the club, but not to match the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool. They need to bring in top quality players. For me, £60m is ridiculous.”"

His protestations certainly have some credence. In fact, they have had some credence for many years. They are not new criticisms of this club. But in the past, it has been the all-powerful Wenger who has shouldered the blame and shielded the club from its inability to spend, even with consistently healthy financial records.

Wenger, though, is no more. Emery, his successor, was announced as a Head Coach. He does not have the sole control over transfers, he is not in charge of the budget, he does not determine the level of investment, he only provides advice and opinion. He is not a shield.

Now, the focus is on the board, not the manager. It is on owner Stan Kroenke and his son Josh to provide the resources to back up their words; it is on Gazidis and Raul Sanllehi to enact transfers efficiently and effectively; it is on Sven Mislintat to ensure that the money is spent is spent wisely. This is who Petit is nailing to the cross.

Next: Arsenal: 3 players who no longer have Arsene Wenger shield

It will be a fascinating summer window. The first one without Wenger was always going to be. Let’s hope that £60 million is not the limit of Arsenal’s budget because one thing we can all agree on is that they will not challenge with it. They need more.