All but the most optimistic Arsenal fans and critics alike would scoff in the face of somebody if they were to suggest Arsenal could challenge for the Premier League title next season, or perhaps even within the next few seasons. However, this week it has come to light that the Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham has revealed his desire for the club to be realistically competing for the Premier League crown within the next 1-2 seasons.
It appears it will be a summer of much change for Arsenal this time around, both with backroom staff, boardroom staff and on-field players. Raul Sanllehi has become the first board room casualty after agreeing to leave his role as head of football. This will now mean that manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu will lead the Gunners transfer strategy this summer.
Venkatesham, the most senior football figure at director level at the Gunners recently discussed the above changes at the Emirates and gave a refreshingly honest assessment of the clubs current predicament. “We know we’re not where we want to be and we are impatient because we want to get to where we want to be, as quickly as we possibly can,” he said.
“Our objectives are to be back competing for and winning the biggest trophies in the game and if you’re Arsenal Football Club and if you’re in the Premier League, there’s two trophies that really matter and that’s the Premier League trophy and the Champions League trophy.”
Whilst talk is cheap, it’s pretty clear that teams in the Premier League are assessed largely on both their performance and with regards to the latter, their appearance in both the Premier League and the Champions League. Arsenal have to be considered cut adrift from the likes of Liverpool, City and to a lesser extender Manchester United and Chelsea at present, but with changes being rung from the top at the Emirates, perhaps this gap can be bridged in the seasons to come, but surely the fast approaching 20/21 season will come far too soon for Arsenal to mount any real challenge for silverware of any kind this season. Furthermore, if punters were to use Arsenal as part of a free bet they may be offered pre-season by the bookies, they should probably look to back them to finish top 4 or for European qualification, as opposed to any title challenge – which seems all but impossible for now.
