Arteta warns Arsenal must splash cash before gap to top is too big to bridge
Mikel Arteta can see the growing gulf between Arsenal and the top of English football is nearing the point of no return.
Which is why he insists this summer’s transfer window is absolutely key if the crisis-torn Gunners are to stand any chance of clinging onto the coat-tails of Manchester City and Co.
Arteta did not mince his words as he called on the board to spend big to ensure the elite do not become completely out of his side’s reach.
Going into the weekend, the Gunners were a staggering 31 points behind Pep Guardilola’s champions-elect.
To further emphasise just how bad that scenario is – there were only 22 points between the North Londoners and the drop zone.
And after crashing out of the Europa League to Unai Emery’s Villarreal on Thursday, Arteta issued a clear message to the hierarchy regarding the need for another major overhaul in personnel.
The under-fire Emirates boss said: “Time is catching up right now. It’s a trend, it’s years now that this has been happening.
“If the distance and the margins with the rest becomes too big, then it’s almost impossible to do it.
“The squad needs changing. There were already a lot of changes in December – something that has not been done in years but which tells us where we were.
“Things are going to have to change and the owners are going to back it up.”
Despite those ominous words of warning on the future, Arteta is adamant much has been achieved already in his rollercoaster year in charge.
Plenty of dead wood has been removed, including the once highest-paid, barely-used N5 misfit, Mesut Ozil.
That all gives ex-Manchester City assistant boss Arteta some cause for optimism even though the Gunners languish in mid-table mediocrity and face the prospect of no European football next season – for the first time since 1996.
Arteta, who remains defiant that he is the right person to lead the fallen giants out of the doldrums, went on: “I think we are still on time.
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“We’ve put some very strong pillars and foundations down in the last few months to do what we have to do.
“We are in the right place. Now we have to do it.”
Whether the supporters share that upbeat perspective is open for serious debate. They will be back inside the Emirates on the last day of the season – for the visit of Brighton.
Arteta will discover then how deep the anger runs – and how much is aimed at him compared to the club’s much-maligned American owner, Stan Kroenke.
Before then, though, the ex-Arsenal, Everton and Rangers midfielder expects his underachievers to show pride in representing the club – starting on Sunday against Sam Allardyce’s all-but doomed West Brom.
Arteta, without a home win in six, declared: “We need to win the four games. We need to see a strong reaction again.
"I see how much the players care. But how much they care in the dressing room is not what we have to see.
“It’s about how much they care when on that pitch."
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