Prospective new Arsenal boss Luis Enrique has told the club he wants to rip up their squad and spend £200million transforming them into title contenders, according to reports. The former Barcelona manager is one of the leading candidates to succeed Arsene Wenger after the veteran French boss announced last Friday that he would step down at the end of the season. While Enrique is keen to replace Wenger, The Sun report that he wants a £200m kitty to make significant alterations to the makeup of the Arsenal squad.
The only area of the team that is safe from Enrique’s axe is the forward line, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette safe for now. But Enrique wants to sign a new goalkeeper to replace veteran Petr Cech, as well as reinforcing the defence and midfield.
Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has already been identified as a potential target, and would represent a shift away from Wenger’s policy of buying young players to develop. Although Enrique has set out his demands, he is not expected to have much say in who Arsenal sign.
The north London club have taken strides to ease their reliance on Wenger, bringing in a whole new transfer team over the past months with ex Dortmund scout Sven Mislintat now heading up recruitment. Other reports have suggested that Arsenal will only grant their next manager a £50m kitty, so Enrique may need to sell before he can buy to overhaul the squad.
Source: metro.co.uk
