Arsenal news: What Gunners need in the transfer market this summer - Craig Bellamy
ARSENAL are in need of a sweeping overhaul of the first-team squad this summer, according to Craig Bellamy.
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The Gunners bade farewell to Arsene Wenger after 22 years in charge in North London on Sunday as they earned their first away league win of 2018, beating Huddersfield 1-0.
Arsenal are set to step up their chase for a replacement manager in the coming weeks with former midfielder Mikel Arteta, currently a coach at Manchester City, the shock favourite to take the job.
Reports have indicated that Arsenal’s new man will only have around £50million - before player sales - to revamp the squad after failing to qualify for the Champions League for a second season.
But former Premier League attacker Bellamy thinks that, whoever comes in, Arsenal need a huge summer to turn around their fortunes.
That’s after the outgoing Wenger recently claimed the team is just two or three players short of challenging for the Premier League title.
Bellamy told The Debate: “They are not three players short. They’re a good six or seven short and that’s probably being kind as well.
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Where they are this season is where they really are as a football club at this moment.
“I don’t like to straight away dismiss of players but as a squad and a team, they’re nowhere near in the league.
“Where they are this season is where they really are as a football club at this moment.
“If you look at their players as well, I believe there’s one or two who really do have potential and should be doing better.
“But they haven’t and they’ve been going downwards for a good three or four years now these players.
“Like Aaron Ramsey, he is better than what he’s been showing over the last two years. He needs a change.”
Bellamy paid tribute to Wenger - who won three titles and a record seven FA Cups with Arsenal - but believes the club is in need of new ideas to counteract the stagnation of the last few seasons.
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“I love Arsene Wenger. The last couple of years has been difficult for everyone,” the ex-Wales international added.
“The Premier League is as huge as it is now because of what he’s done.
“He’s played a huge part in it. The last few years haven’t been nice. It was his time, they need to move on.
“It’s going to be interesting to see the manager who comes in.
“But it could be a refreshing change with new ideas and hopefully intensity and being better without the ball, harder to beat and it’s a different Arsenal.”