MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal cannot replicate the meteoric rise of Liverpool due to financial restraints and the Premier League becoming more competitive, says Mikel Arteta.
Jurgen Klopp signed a new deal to keep him at Anfield until 2026 on Thursday, signalling an intent to extend Liverpool’s dominance that has them hunting an unprecedented quadruple.
Liverpool are profiting from a transformation in the club’s fortunes, underpinned by astute signings and the development of players into world class stars.
The Gunners, meanwhile, are fighting for fourth in the Premier League – a competition they have not won since 2003-04 – with their last trophy being the 2019-20 FA Cup.
While manager Arteta respects the route Liverpool took to return to a force to be reckoned with, the Spaniard believes Arsenal must forge their own path.
“There are things you can try to compare, and you can acknowledge how other clubs have been through these processes and these phases of a project, like Liverpool,” he told Sky Sports.
“But what the league was six years ago and what the league is today is completely different. Those leagues were won with 83, 84, 86 points. Now you need 95, 96 or 100 points to win the league.
“The context is completely different, so what was good three or five years ago is not good anymore, because the standards are so high.
“We need to focus on what we want to do and how we are going to execute it, and not look too far ahead.”
Arsenal visit West Ham on Sunday as they look to build on their two-point advantage over fifth-placed Tottenham, who they face in the penultimate week of the season in what could decide Champions League qualification.
Once this season is complete, Arsenal face a crucial transfer window in order to become more competitive, with Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus reportedly a top target.
Arteta reiterated that Arsenal cannot duplicate the success of Liverpool’s signings, given the club’s financial restraints.
“I don’t think we are in a position where we can do that, so we have to find other ways to do it,” he added when asked in reference to Klopp signing both Alisson and Virgil van Dijk for record fees at the time.
“Liverpool, as well, have improved their players immensely, which is as important as bringing players in. And then, the ones that you buy, [it’s important] that they can have an impact straight away.
“That’s a big decision they have to make in recruitment, and then they are human beings as well. They have to adapt, and sometimes that’s a tricky question to answer before they are actually here.
“We want to make the squad stronger, we want to make the starting XI stronger, we want to make the specificity and the personality of our players stronger, and that’s what we are going to be seeking to do.
“It will depend on many factors. How many players are back from their loans, with the commitments we still have with them, our financial position in relation to where we finish; the clubs’ demands when we want to buy players or sell players.
“There are a lot of question marks there, but this is football. We’ve been through a lot in the last two seasons and we are going to try to manage it in the best possible way.
“The good thing is that the plan is clear, but the plan is just the plan until you start to work through that plan. Then, every decision and every situation is going to allow you – or not allow you – to be as close as possible to that plan, which is our aim.”
