Anyone questioning the wisdom of Arsenal effectively signing two players over the age of 30 is underestimating the urgency with which Mikel Arteta must return the club to the Champions League.
The Gunners are imminently expected to announce that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 31, has penned a new three-year contract to continue a talismanic role in head coach Mikel Arteta's rebuild, and in the same month that Willian, 32, joined on a free transfer from Chelsea. Although Aubameyang enjoys hero status at Emirates Stadium these days, having scored a remarkable 70 goals in 109 games since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, committing such significant wages on a player entering the autumn of his career has been viewed by some as a gamble.