- 18 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal boss Arteta set to be handed £200m summer transfer war chest
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is to give Mikel Arteta a £200million war chest to strengthen the squad this summer with the full aim to compete on all fronts next season including embarking on a serious pursuit to win the Champions League for the first time in the club's history, FootballTransfers can reveal.
Following the Gunner’s sublime season, the American businessman will hand the Spanish boss significant funds, as well as money made from potential player sales which will also be added to the full amount.
We are told that these plans were put into place just before the January transfer window after a meeting which involved Kroenke, his son Josh, sporting director Edu Gaspar, director of football operations Richard Garlick, and Vinai Venkatesham, the club’s CEO.
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Arsenal have set out a long-term plan to strengthen the team with Arteta and Edu having total control over the players that come into the club in the window, with sights firmly set on reaching the latter stages - or even winning - the Champions League.
Arsenal last qualified for Europe’s most prestigious competition when they finished runners-up in the Premier League behind Leicester City in 2015-16.
Arsenal's Champions League ambitions
The hierarchy at Arsenal are hell-bent on making sure the club gets back to where they feel they belong, which is competing once again with Europe's biggest clubs and are therefore willing to are they can to ensure success in the Champions League next season.
Owner Kroenke & KSE Entertainment became majority shareholders of Arsenal in April 2011, before acquiring 100 per cent ownership of the club in 2018.
In that time, the conglomerate hasn’t enjoyed the best of relationships with the Arsenal fans due to the lack of spending.
But they are now prepared to set off a move to appease the supporters and back their manager after a superb season.