Arsenal: £40 million isn’t much, but what is actually necessary?

Arsenal are supposedly looking at a rather paltry summer transfer budget, but what is actually needed, and can it still be achieved?

Arsenal are officially almost entirely owned by American business tycoon Stan Kroenke. While that is a soul-sucking realization in ways, I have come to terms with the continued presence of the Kroenke’s by simply remembering that as long as Kroenke isn’t getting in the way, then I don’t care.

That said, there is already a potentially ‘getting in the way’ moment coming up next summer, as a reported summer transfer budget has been announced, and it isn’t much.

According to a couple of different reports, the club is looking at a summer transfer budget of £40m. Now, granted, transfer budgets have been announced before and it never seems to hold water, but in a new era, everything has to be taken seriously, and with Kroenke actually in charge, there is reason to pay attention.

Apparently, the new deal that the Gunners signed with Adidas won’t pay dividends until the following year, and with the increased wage budget that is keeping Aaron Ramsey from getting the payment he deserves, the Kroenkes are only able to spare this small amount.

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There are no lessons in frugality quite like Stan Kroenke is able to convey through this club. Through the years, it has forced Arsene Wenger to think long and hard about what is an actual necessity and, assuming that this transfer budget is real, which is no guarantee, I’d like to do the same here.

Because I think that £40m may actually be enough.

If you look at the state of the club as it is, we should be pretty happy with the depth of options in any given position. The attack is swarming with prolific talents young and old, and the midfield is well and truly shaping up to be the focal point of it all. Even if Ramsey leaves, which I still hope won’t happen, the amount of ambitious youth pushing to be the replacement is almost overwhelming.

The defense is obviously still in need of some repairs, but once everyone is healthy and when Calum Chambers returns, the damage can be reassessed and anyone that isn’t ‘vital’ can be sold to accommodate new arrivals.

The only thing that I’d really say is needed is a top winger. Reiss Nelson will be back, and he can account for a bit in that area, along with Alex Iwobi’s continued rise, but that may be the one position that truly needs investment.

And, crazy enough, that should be able to be covered by this tiny little transfer budget.