THE MOMENT WE KNEW WE HAD TO BAKU THE BOSS

Euro battering by Chelsea prompted Gunners top brass to finally splash the cash this summer

ONE half, four goals and Europa League final humiliation jolted Arsenal into an “aggressive” summer transfer strategy aimed at getting the Gunners back to the top.

And director Josh Kroenke has insisted his family will remain at the Emirates to see out that project, before hinting at further spending in January.

Victory over Chelsea in Baku in May would have seen the Gunners, who finished fifth last season, qualify for the Champions League – and paper over the problems Unai Emery had inherited from Arsene Wenger.

Instead, after Eden Hazard’s virtuoso farewell performance for the Blues, Arsenal were out of Europe’s top club competition for the third consecutive season. Kroenke, the son of owner Stan, claimed that defeat hammered home the message it was time to act.

And six new players – including record £72million signing Nicolas Pepe and Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid – were to follow after that fateful 45 minutes.

“My main message to managing director Vinai Venkatesham and head of football Raul Sanllehi, coming back from Baku on the plane and in meetings the following day with them and Unai Emery was, ‘Let’s be aggressive and find out what’s possible’.

“These guys went out and worked their magic and I am happy to have them on our side.”

Kroenke concedes that defeat in Baku and the failure to make the Champions League required a reassement of transfer targets.

“As the second half of the match unfolded, we had to rethink some of our strategy,” he said.

“Because we knew we wouldn’t have Champions League football and that’s what certain players are after.”

But Kroenke (with Emery, left) is convinced Arsenal’s transfer business will stand them in good stead going forward.

“I think we had a very strong summer,” he said. “We addressed certain areas on the pitch for this season and in the years ahead.”

The Gunners have structured payments on their summer signings over the next few years while they also recouped money in sales to take the net spend to about £73m.

Kroenke was not the only one who knew the north Londoners had to change. After the departure of Wenger, fan fury turned on the Kroenke family, which first invested in the club in 2007 and took full control in August last year.

Fourteen fan groups combined last month to call on the US owners to reinvigorate a club that “feels like an investment vehicle”.

Josh Kroenke, a nonexecutive director who is also president of the Denver Nuggets NBA team and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, said: “It was unfortunate the summer unfolded publicly the way it did with some of the supporters’ groups. The transfer market is an evolving, living, breathing thing. We identified key targets, worked on those deals and, over time, were able to execute them.

“That’s hopefully a sign of encouragement for Arsenal fans that, when we’re out in the market place, you might never know what we’re thinking and could be surprised by the names that come up.

“We’ve got to evaluate some things in the short term, so when January does roll around, we’re going to be proactive again.

“The hard part is staying patient and understanding we’re putting plans in place that are going to unfold over the next several years.”

‘When January rolls around, we’re going to be proactive’