Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny says that Arsene Wenger need to bus at least four players, including a top-class striker, if the Gunners are to compete for the title next season.
“We’ll need a goalkeeper, a right back, a midfielder and a striker,” said Koscielny at France’s pre-World Cup training camp.
“It’s important to have a minimum of these four players so that we’ll be better able to challenge over the course of a whole season against teams like Manchester City, Chelsea or [Manchester] United. Winning the FA Cup can change things and lead to other players coming.”
Arsenal ended their nine-year drought by winning the FA Cup last month, but their title dreams faded late in the season as they could not overcome injuries to midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, while striker Olivier Giroud looked exhausted after starting 36 of 38 league games.
“Yes, we need to recruit a very, very good striker, because it’s important for us, for competition for places, because Olivier needs that to become even better,” said Koscielny.
“Having a striker who scores more than 30 goals a season can help us win the Premier League. Compared to the squads like Manchester City, even United, Chelsea. … You can see there’s a certain difference.”
Take the comments by Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis that Arsenal will spend big this summer and now the ones from Koscielny and the pressure is just beginning to mount on Arsene Wenger to spend and deliver this summer. Can and will he?
