Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis hinted that the north London club are unlikely to spend big in the summer transfer window.
Gazidis explained that the current squad at the Emirates is strong enough to beat the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and other top clubs to win the Premier League. He even suggested that the Gunners have to "spend wisely" in getting their transfer business done in the ongoing window.
"This approach, for us, gives us a very, very powerful balance because it's not just about spending money but about how you spend your money and doing it wisely," Gazidis told ESPN FC.
“It's about having a strong core philosophy and values within the club that players buy into and our fans can be proud of.
“These are all things that lead to success, and when you look at Arsenal over the last four or five years, there's no question that the squad has been progressing in strength.
“We've got a squad now that we believe is capable of competing to win the Premier League. We came in second last year, which was disappointing. But we're on the right track.”
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Gonzalo Higuain was reportedly a target for Arsene Wenger, who looks to bolster his strike force for the next season. The Frenchman earlier had admitted that bringing in a quality striker is a priority this summer.
Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis had earlier reiterated that Higuain is valued at €94 million and also stressed that there are not many clubs in Europe who can match the Italian club's asking price for the former Real Madrid star.
With Gazidis' latest comments, it looks like that Arsenal are unlikely to meet Napoli's asking price. The Emirates club's chief even suggested that Wenger should emulate Leicester City's model of signing talented players from France's lower division.
The Foxes signed Riyadh Mahrez and N'Golo Kante from France and the duo, along with England international Jamie Vardy has been sensational in their title-winning campaign.
"Leicester identified players from the French second division, so maybe there is talent we've been overlooking. They did their talent identification, they had great unity within the group, as well as quality," Arsenal chief executive added.
"It wasn't built on money. It was built on the great fitness work they did. It was built on all of these other elements. I think that is going to be a continuing trend within the Premier League."
