Olivier Giroud Claims Arteta Is Facing A Big “Problem” That Could Stop Arsenal From Finishing In The Top Four

Olivier Giroud Claims Arteta Is Facing A Big “Problem” That Could Stop Arsenal From Finishing In The Top Four

Ex-Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud believes a lack of spending power could cost the Gunners in their attempts to get back into the Champions League.

When asked how long it could take for his former club to return to the top four under manager Mikel Arteta, Giroud replied by stating that the inability to spend £80m+ on a forward could be a major issue:


“Wow, that’s a good question! I think Mikel Arteta has got time to come back in the top four. But sometimes the problem is that money plays a huge part in success also. When you see Chelsea after winning the Champions League spend over £80million (£97.5m) on Romelu Lukaku to reinforce the forward line and after spending a lot of millions the year before, I think money plays a huge part. That’s the thing with Arsenal. Maybe they don’t put as much in as their opponents.”

While Arsenal did spend nearly £150m on new recruits in the summer, Giroud is right to point out that the club are seemingly unable to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United when it comes to big statement signings.

If the Gunners do want to be challenging at the top of the table on a regular basis once again, they need players who are worth £100m+ in order to compete.

Of course, there are different ways to do it. You can go down the route that Chelsea did with Lukaku, as Giroud highlights, or you can invest in young talent who could eventually get to the level required. It seems the club have opted for the latter approach but there is no guarantee that it will succeed.