Arsenal Legend Claims Gunners Still Lack Leaders & Should Have Tried to Sign Nemanja Matic

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has claimed that the Gunners will struggle this season after failing to recruit ‘leaders’ over the summer and that they should have made an offer for Manchester United's Nemanja Matic.

The Gunners have already secured £52m record signing Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon and Sead Kolasinac on a free from Schalke this summer, but Wright believes Arsenal have so far failed to sign the winning personalities they need to succeed.

In the past few days Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted that with some 32 players in the current squad, if anything the club will look to trim their roster in order to balance the wage budget.

According to reports, Monaco wonderkid Thomas Lemar remains the north London club’s top target, but there are no indications that Arsenal will move for any more experienced competitors this summer.

Writing in his column for The Sun, the former England international said: “They do have a worryingly familiar feel to them.

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“My big fear, a seriously nagging doubt, is once again whether Arsene Wenger could have done a bit more business this summer. Yes, he’s spent big on Alexandre Lacazette, and Kolasinac looks a decent signing as well.

“But for too long the problem at Arsenal has been a lack of leaders – and I have a horrible feeling it could be the same this time.''

Reflecting on Nemanja Matic’s switch to arch-rivals Man Utd, Wright bemoaned Arsenal’s apparent lack of interest;

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“When Chelsea decided to sell Nemanja Matic, I would have loved to have seen Arsene throw his hat into the ring.

“Of course that would have been hard to swallow for Blues fans, but surely not as bad as seeing him go to Manchester United under their old manager.

“I think Matic would have been perfect for this Arsenal side, the general and leader who could have taken the team by the scruff of the neck.''