Arsenal one of the biggest spenders in the transfer window this season as Unai Emery made sure that he brought in players for every problematic area.
And this came as a surprise to many people since almost every major publication had claimed that Arsenal would have a budget of only 45 million pounds to spend during the summer in case they failed to qualify for the Champions League.
While the Gunners failed to win the Europa League final at the end of the season, there was major heartbreak amongst the fans since they were certain that their club would not be able to bring in any big names for the upcoming season.
But speaking to the BBC, Arsenal director Josh Kroenke has revealed that it was, in fact, the humiliating loss to Chelsea in the final which prompted the club to reconsider their transfer plans.
“As the second half of the match unfolded, understanding the position we were in and some of the targets as we headed into the summer from a transfer standpoint, we had to rethink some of our strategy based on that last 45 minutes,” Kroenke said.
“We knew we wouldn’t have Champions League football and that’s what those type of talents are after.
“My main message to Vinai [Venkatesham, managing director] and Raul [Sanllehi, head of football] coming back from Baku on the plane and then throughout meetings all day the following day with them and Unai [Emery, head coach], was: ‘Let’s be aggressive and find out what’s possible’.
“These guys went out into the market place and – through their contacts and our fantastic new team behind the scenes – were able to find some talented players who are really excited about playing for Arsenal Football Club.
“I think we had a very strong summer. We addressed certain areas on the pitch for this season and in the years ahead. We had certain age profiles that we were after.
“Without Champions League football we weren’t exactly sure, but I encouraged our football operations department to be aggressive and when Arsenal Football Club knocks on a player’s door it’s a different knock.
“This summer, even though we weren’t in a position of strength coming out of Baku, I think there were a few people caught off guard that Arsenal Football Club still has the aura that it does.
“We’re excited to keep pushing that now and into the future.”
Chelsea might have ended the previous season with a silverware by beating Arsenal but now it looks like that loss did more good than bad for the Gunners.
While Chelsea have managed to keep their Champions League status, it would be really hard for them to carry on that streak for the upcoming season since they have not been able to bring in any new players during the summer.
