It’s now or never for Gunners
MIKEL ARTETA admits this may be Arsenal’s best opportunity to lift the Premier League for a while – amid the rise of elite, state-owned English clubs.
Should Manchester United fall into Qatari hands this summer, the north Londoners will be the only current top-four team NOT financed by a foreign nation.
Manchester City are backed by United Arab Emirates while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are in charge at Newcastle.
If Qatar’s £5billion-plus takeover bid of Man United is successful, Arsenal – owned by US tycoon Stan Kroenke – become the odd ones out at the summit.
Ahead of today’s trip to Newcastle – with three points imperative to keep his visitors in title contention – Arteta was asked if it really could be a case of now or never for a non stateowned club to win the Prem.
The Gunners boss said: “It is the best time because this is the moment – right now.
“The best time is when you have something and try to take it, especially in elite sports... because you don’t know when you will have another opportunity.
“That is what we’re trying to do. We’re going to Newcastle to win and continue to be there.”
Not that he feels competing for transfer targets is impossible – even if Arsenal’s not-soinsignificant investment can look just that alongside their rivals’ enormous spending power.
Arteta, whose outlay over the last two years stands above £300million, said: “We have to compete with those teams, for sure, because we are Arsenal.
“The demands are to be the best in everything we do, so we have to find a way to do that.”
As for the loaded Geordies becoming a regular feature of future title scraps, Arteta needs further convincing despite being impressed at their recent rise.
He added: “I don’t know. They’ve performed really well and deserve to be where they are. We have done the same. But next season will be something completely different, in my opinion.”