Arsene Wenger has revealed he will meet with Arsenal's paymasters in the coming days in order to establish his summer transfer budget.
After enduring their worst ever campaign under the French boss, Arsenal have been linked with a number of star signings including Marseille's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea all have the capacity to spend big in the summer, but any huge acquisitions for Arsenal would be firmly against the precedent set by Wenger during his ten years in North London.
Young Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is already on his way, and Wenger will now meet with the Arsenal board in order to ascertain what further resources will be at his disposal when the transfer window opens.
"Certainly there is money to spend in the summer. How much? Frankly at the moment I do not know. We have to see," said Wenger.
"It is linked as well with who goes out, who comes in. You can create money. That is what we always try to do - but how much I do not know.
"I will be meeting the board at some point next week to discuss the budget."
Wenger is also aware that he cannot replace the vast wealth of experience The Gunners have lost in recent years over the course of one pre-season.
"You look in the last two years - we have lost Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, Sylvain Wiltord, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira, Edu, Kanu, Martin Keown.
"It is a capital of experience you lose and you do not replace that from one second to the next. We have potential, but at the moment we are a bit short."
Wenger would previously have relied on David Dein to help implement his transfer policy, but the former vice-chairman has still not been replaced since his shock departure last month.
Dein has been linked with a possible return to the club as part of any takeover from Stan Kroenke, but Wenger is not anticipating seeing his friend in the halls of Emirates Stadium any time soon.
"At the moment there is no possibility he will come back," Wenger added.
"I feel David is needed in football, because this guy has revolutionised this club and English football.
"Will he stay in football, I would say yes. Will he come back to Arsenal? I do not know. At the moment, it is unlikely."
