Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has hit out at the club after failing to back boss Unai Emery in the January transfer window.
Arsene Wenger’s tenure came to an end last summer, with the Spanish tactician stepping in to fill the void at the Emirates and was tasked with building a bright new future for the Gunners.
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It hasn’t quite worked out to plan just yet, with Arsenal continuing to scrap for a top-four finish in the Premier League while falling short in their pursuit of silverware.
Nevertheless, Petit has defended Emery, as he believes that it’s the lack of spending from the hierarchy that has essentially hindered the former Sevilla boss from stamping his mark on the squad and building a group of players capable of taking the club forward.
“The frustration level must be very high for Emery as in only his second transfer window as Arsenal manager, he was told he cannot sign anybody,” Petit is quoted as saying by the Independent.ie.
“You look at the money Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City spend and unless you join them and put the cash on the table to compete for the best players, you are going nowhere.
“If you sack Arsene Wenger and then say to the guy who replaces him you have no money to spend on new players, I would ask what was the point of sacking Wenger in the first place?”
It’s a valid point in truth, and it doesn’t look like getting any better for Emery either as the Daily Mail report that he will have just £45m this summer to strengthen his squad.
If Arsenal are serious about competing at the top of the table, they’ll surely need to dig deeper into their pockets to ensure that they’re at the same level as the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.
Denis Suarez was the only notable arrival in January, and even that was a loan move from Barcelona until the end of the season.
