Former Arsenal star Per Mertesacker has made a brutal assessment of the Gunners' transfer strategy since he left the club in 2018 with legendary manager Arsene Wenger.
Mikel Arteta was allowed to spend £150m on six new signings this summer, and after a teething period they now look to have settled in with Arsenal pushing for a top-four spot once more.
Mertesacker ended his playing career at Arsenal in 2018 as Wenger handed over the managerial reins to Unai Emery, and the Gunners have altered their approach to the transfer window since their long-lasting boss departed.
And the retired defender has given his assessment on how their transfer strategy has worked out.
Have Your Say! Which Arsenal signing has disappointed the most since Wenger's exit? Comment here.
The 37-year-old is now the Arsenal academy manager and his influence as a former captain at the Emirates Stadium has remained as he oversees everything at youth level.
The German was signed by Wenger in 2011 and won three FA Cups at Arsenal during his career, but the club has taken a very different direction since their former boss left in 2018.
Commenting on the change in strategy, Mertesacker told Suddeutsche: "We are in a state of upheaval and are building a team capable of development, which should be peppered with players from our own youth and professionals from abroad.
"In the meantime, we had lost our way. We tried to make the connection to the top faster with costly commitments. We fell on our face with that."
Read more: Jack Wilshere claims Arsenal sold Man Utd flop who was better than Robin van Persie
Arsenal were the kings of net spend when Wenger was at the club, and following their lack of spend while paying off the costs endured developing the Emirates Stadium, it's only now that people are starting to appreciate the job that Wenger did during the latter stages of his time in north London.
It is estimated that Wenger spent £690m in 22 years at Arsenal, whereas Arteta has already spent £225m since the Spaniard's appointment in December 2019.
Of course, the market has significantly changed, but it highlights just how different Arsenal approach transfers as opposed to when Wenger was in charge, and Mertesacker also commented on the differences between the pair.
The German added: "It is not easy to find successors who bring good ideas and who at the same time involve club employees.
Read more: Mikel Arteta has defied the odds to fulfil his unlikely Arsenal promise
"Mikel has a different knit than Arsene, is intense and focused. He tries to be very active as a trainer, to respond to the new generation and to clearly show what is required.
"The current generation needs more requirements, while in my time much more was regulated in dialogue with one another."
Mertesacker's impact is clear as his academy graduates are driving Arsenal back into the top four, with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been revelations for the Gunners this season.
And while they have spent a lot of money, Arteta's side look to be a force for the future.
