Mikel Arteta has claimed the ambition and commitment shown by the Kroenke's at Arsenal is "as good as I’ve seen in football".
The Gunners boss is into his third full season as manager with his sights set firmly on the top four after last season's narrow miss. The club's American owners appointed him back in December 2019 and, in the last two transfer windows especially, have backed the Spaniard financially.
12 months ago over £100m was spent on the likes of Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale. This summer they've shown even more ambition by sanctioning the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who both arrived from Manchester City and have had an instant impact.
Arteta has said on the club's top brass: “I think the commitment and desire of this ownership is without a question or doubt as good as I’ve seen in football. They’re on it, they want to take this club to a completely different level. They have the ambition, and it’s clear, there is so much evidence that they’re giving us all the support we need in order to do that.
“So it’s great to see as well that now there is a little bit of change in that talk and even our supporters and everybody around the world is talking very differently about what is happening here.”
The 40-year-old's comments may certainly come as a surprise given how regularly criticised the club's owners have been. Stan Kroenke has a vast portfolio of sports clubs, but Arsenal are his only major investment outside of his native America. He is rarely seen at games with his absence causing frustration among the fanbase, who have previously staged protests.
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His role in the attempted breakaway Super League only served to widen the divide between him and the fans whilst Arsenal's demise, especially in the past five years or so, has heightened fan frustration with the north Londoners no longer a top four outfit and struggling to compete for silverware.
Arsenal fan groups back in 2019 addressed their issues with the ownership, stating: "Until the club and especially the senior management structure is running efficiently, effectively and ambitiously, then few other issues can or will be satisfactorily resolved.
"The early optimism of summer, around what appeared to be good business and positive signings, has given way to renewed concerns about the club's overall direction and the leadership of the owner. It feels like the club is rudderless and floating aimlessly, unsure of its destination."
