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Gazidis confident of attracting 'top players'

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes the club can attract 'top players' to Emirates Stadium © PA Photos

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Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes the club can continue to attract 'top players' as well as retaining their premium talent this summer.

The north London outfit released their latest financial figures for the six months ending on November 30, 2011, on Monday and Gazidis proffered a healthy outlook in an interview with Arsenal's official website.

"We do have money that is available. We have to invest efficiently, we have to do it sensibly as we do not have the kind of money that other clubs have. But we have enough I believe, if we do it well, to be able to compete at the very highest levels of the game," he said.

"We have a manager who has a fantastic track record over time of getting those types of decisions mostly right."

Pressure has been piled on both club and manager Arsene Wenger this season by frustrated fans who believe that significant investment is required at Emirates Stadium. Supporters of the club are also eager to see captain Robin van Persie's future resolved as a matter of priority.

Qualification for next season's Champions League, which is far from being seen as a forgone conclusion, is viewed as a critical aspect of attracting and holding onto talent.

"We are very focused on qualifying for the Champions League next year. That is a priority now and I still remain confident that we will be able to do that," said Gazidis, who added that he believes failure to qualify would not necessarily affect Arsenal's ability to lure new signings to the club.

"In terms of players selecting clubs based on the Champions League, I think there are very few clubs in the world you would go to ahead of Arsenal in terms of consistently being there. So I do not believe it affects our ability to attract top players and in fact, our Champions League record is a fantastic advertisement for this club and a reason to come here.

"I do not see this adversely affecting our ability to attract players or retain the top players that we have."

Gazidis also took the opportunity to assuage the discontent that has been voiced by perturbed fans this season, assuring them their grievances were not being ignored.

"We hear the noise and we understand the concerns of the fans," he said. "We know there are issues and we know we are not where we want to be. But I can tell you that the manager and the players are absolutely united behind what we have to do before the end of the season, which is to finish in the top four.

"Our supporters have put aside the questions, put aside the doubts and put aside the differences of opinion and got behind the team. If that can happen between now and the end of the season, I know that we can achieve Champions League qualification for next year, we can rebuild and regroup in the summer and come back strong next year."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.