Arsene Wenger questions Arsenal board over recent signings and sends warning to Mikel Arteta

Arsene Wenger has suggested that Arsenal have moved
away from the ‘special values’ he installed at the club and
has criticised recent signings, warning Mikel Arteta that he
must correct those two key areas when he takes over.

The Spanish coach, who is primed to leave Manchester City
for the Emirates , walks into a club in chaos, with the
Gunners having won just once in their last 14 outings in all
competitions and sitting as close to the relegation zone as
the top four.

While Wenger is supportive of the looming decision to bring
in Arteta , he believes the inexperienced coach will need to
be backed up by people who understand the club and has
urged the board to improve their recruitment.

Speaking in Qatar, he told reporters: ‘He will have to get
surrounded well, have a good environment at the club. I think
the most important [thing], every club, and Arsenal
especially, is built on special values and inside the club
people have to take care of that. That is most important.

‘What makes the culture of a club great, is first the values of
the club and you have to be faithful to that and continue to
develop that. And he will have to be surrounded, if he comes
in, to respect that.

‘The club just needs to make the right decisions. You have
to understand first that a football club is built on values and
on good players. And that’s what the club will have to do, is
get these two together.’

Asked if he is saddened by the club’s current malaise, he
continued: ‘Of course. I have given a big part of my life, 22
years in the career of a manager is not nothing you know –
it’s 200 years in normal life.

I think when I left this club I wanted the club to have stability
and let’s not forget we were 20 consecutive years in the top
four. People speak a lot, but in 2016 – we are in 2019 now –
we finished second.

‘When I left the club was in a very strong financial position
and they bought many players in-between – they have not all
worked out.

‘I believe that it’s not a question of time. The change can be
very efficient very quickly, it’s just about the right decision-
making and that’s all that it’s about in football, it’s about
good players.

‘We speak about the success of Liverpool, of course they
have a great manager, but you have to say as well that in the
last three or four years, they bought the right players.’