Money alone isn't what attract players. Its perspective and a proper chance of winning something and be relevant. The best players aren't alotted to PSG, City and Chelsea. They have some of them, true, but the best are still splitted over Real, Barca and Bayern. Arsenal simply failed to give those star players that chance. RVP left because he knew what was coming, Fabregas left for Barca, because it was the number 1 club at that time and Wenger again wouldn't spent some money for a decent replacment. After the glorious times with Henry, Bergkamp etc. Wenger and the club couldn't sustain that success because they clearly had no concept. The rest of the world moved on, Wenger didn't. That's why he brought up Metesacker, Podolski, Giroud or Özil. All decent players but nothing you can place as a trophy winning spine. Your club simply hesitated to risk something, to invest into perspective and philosophy . Bayern was there from 2002-2009 but we made that turn, because some people in our board saw the need of a structure and some financial risk in investing into international players like Ribery, Robben, Gomez and Neuer and were able to keep them. And our competition isn't Wolfsburg, Gladbach or even Dortmund, no it was back then and now Real, Chelsea, Barca, United, etc.
O common lol,
We've had a very clear philosophy. We had a choice, either go the external investment model or try to build a sustainable self running football club. We chose the latter, in order to do so, Highbury being 38,000 seater stadium was always going to be to our detriment so a new stadium was of the highest priority. Ofc we invested and took a risk by doing so, by taking shitty sponsorship deals so we could get our cash up front in order to fund are new stadium so we could compete with the likes of Chelsea etc over a long term period.
We have always had one philosophy, and thats not to spend more than we generate,
Thats a quote from your Cheif Exec!
Yet when Arsenal try to adhere to the same policies we get slated for not investing, not risking etc. It's ludicrous, Bayren debt is stupidly low, you are an extremely well run club which is something Arsenal are trying to work towards.