Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged the board to give Mikel Arteta finances in the summer transfer market to bolster his team and follow in Chelsea's footsteps.
The Blues have acted early ahead of the 2020/21 season, landing Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and Timo Werner from RB Leipzig - and their business looks like it isn't over.
Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz and Atletico Madrid stopper Jan Oblak are two of the leading names backed for a move to Stamford Bridge, adding further excitement to what could be a successful summer window.
Parlour is adamant that Arsenal need to follow that path with investments of their own, warning the gap to those above them will not be closed unless money is spent.
"They've got to take a gamble now. If you think you've got the right man as a manager, a little bit like Frank Lampard, look at him at Chelsea," he told talkSPORT.
"Roman Abramovich looks at it and thinks this is the man to take the club forward, now I've got to give him funds, I've got to buy him players and give him a chance to try and compete with Manchester City and Liverpool.
"That's what Arsenal have got to do now, they've got to compete to try to get into that top-four again. If they don't do that and they don't spend money, they're not going to get in the top-four because other teams will keep improving and keep buying the best players.
"It's big decisions they have got to make.
"That's why they brought Edu in, to overlook what sort of signings to bring in, who to get rid of and try to get some money into the club and they're the big decisions they have got to make.
"It's not going to be easy for Arsenal, it might take a few more years to get back to where they want to be but I certainly believe that Arteta has shown enough to be given an opportunity and to be given financial help to try and get back into the top-four."
