Even if Arsene Wenger is given a huge warchest this summer and Arsenal undergo a massive overhaul, will that be enough to get the club back on its feet?

Fresh off the back of yet another embarrassing result, this time a 3-0 loss against Crystal Palace, reports have begun to circulate regarding Wenger staying at Arsenal but being given £200m to spend.

Well, that’s what the headlines say anyway. When you read the body of most reports, really, it’s just £100m and then another estimated £100m made up from selling other players. Therefore, even if these reports are true, that’s the same amount the Frenchman had to spend last summer. And he did… almost.

Shkodran Mustafi (£35m), Granit Xhaka (£35m), Lucas Perez (£17m) and Rob Holding (£2m) all cost a combined £89m, not including wages, bonuses and add-ons.

Where did this £100m that Wenger apparently gets to spend all over again this summer get Arsenal this season?

In today’s climate, £100m get you three MAYBE four top players. Is that all it would take to transform this current squad? Would adding three world class stars be enough to not only transform the starting lineup but the way the existing players are performing?

I don’t believe it’ll be as simple, as cheap or as quick as that.

 

The report in the Mirror claimed that the Gunners will make money by selling Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, which makes no sense considering the club would then be two more star players worse off. Sure, we may have £50m, even £60m. But what would selling these names, particularly Ozil, who was supposed to be a statement of intent all the way back in 2013, do to the morale of this side?

While I strongly agree that there are players who have been stagnating for a number of years, Alexis and Ozil are not two of them. I also fail to see how the club selling their two best signing of the last four years is going to fill fans, who are just about at the end of their tethers, with confidence.

Something else that’s supposed to help with Arsenal’s transformation over the summer is a backroom staff overhaul. This phrase has been thrown around a lot over the last few months but, other than mentioning that we might get a Director of Football for the first time ever, there’s been very little outlining what exactly this entails.

All the reports say that Wenger is set to stay. But what about Steve Bould? Does this overhaul involve chucking Steve out the back door? Does this mean changes to the youth staff; coaches; kit men? What will become of Vic Akers?!

When you get to the nitty gritty, the claims being pumped out by the media regarding a summer makeover are just as vague as they’ve always been, which is why many believe that the club itself, ie Ivan Gazidis, is feeding the papers their headlines in a pretty pathetic attempt to calm fans down for the time being.

No one really knows what’s going on.

There aren’t really any substantial leads on world class players we could buy.

There are some vague rumours that Marc Overmars could step in as Director of Football. Nothing better than an Arsenal legend to attempt to get the Gooners back on side, right?

Nothing solid on who could take over if Wenger goes.

I mean, we don’t even know if Wenger’s staying or going and his contract runs out in two months!

It’s not good enough. Nothing about this club makes sense right now. And that’s why I believe that simply splashing the cash or overhauling the backroom staff won’t be good enough.

Bringing in new players on the pitch and faces behind the scenes won’t force the existing players to go out there at the weekend and play like their lives depend on it.

Wenger has lost this team and I don’t see how throwing more players at the problem, or at least claiming they will, is going to help.

As much as I hate to say it, the only way I can see real change occurring is if Wenger goes.