Arsenal managing director opens up on UCL absence and effect on future investments

What's the story?

The managing director of Arsenal FC, Vinai Venkatesham has claimed that Arsenal can still invest in players even if they spend more time outside of the top four.

Arsenal's non-participation in Europe's elite competition, the UEFA champions league for the second year running has led some to think that the gunners are limited in their transfer budget.

In case you didn't know...

The Gunners spent around £18m for Greek defender Sokratis, £22m for German keeper Bernd Leno,£27m for Uruguayan Lucas Torreira and £8m. for French teenage sensation Matteo Guendouzi, while Stephan Lichtsteiner joined from Juventus on a free transfer, taking their summer spending to about £75m.

The heart of the matter

However, there are fears that the gunners continued absence from the Champions league could affect their rating as one of the top clubs in England and even on the continent, Venkatesham believes Arsenal's business model can still sustain the club for a while as long as their absence is not longer than it is expected to be.

"We do have a self-sustaining business model so the more years you spend out of the Champions League, the bigger strain it puts on the business model,"

"There's not a final point we get to where it becomes a catastrophic problem and we are nowhere near that. So we have that robustness built into our business model that we can have some seasons in the Europa League and still make the investments we need."

Venkatesham was quoted as saying the above on Skysports (via Press Association Sport).

However, he did admit that two seasons outside the Champions league is unacceptable for a club like Arsenal and they need to start competing for the biggest prizes in club football and that there is the financial implication for being out of the Champions League.

He said,"We need to be realistic, last season we finished sixth and we had our second season in a row in the Europa League - that is not where we want this football club to be.

"I think it has an impact across the club - it is a material impact, financially, being in the Europa League and not the Champions League.

Unai Emery was appointed by Arsenal in the summer to get them back in the Champions League, and Arsenal currently are sixth in the Premier League, three points behind North London rivals Spurs who are occupying the final Champions League qualification spot.

What's next?

Arsenal travel to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League and it could be a chance to haul themselves back in fourth or even close the gap on Spurs, considering the fact that Spurs plays host to unbeaten Chelsea in the Premier League.