Arsenal chief Edu has detailed the planning behind their summer market work.
The 43-year-old took time to explain the thinking behind Arsenal's summer business amid mass criticism over how the club has spent money primarily on squad players.
He told Sky Sports: "We suffered last year because we lost a lot of players, and we didn't really have good back-ups to play games.
"I believe we need a squad to win games. We need a squad to be in a good position at the end of the season because it is not only about the first XI.
"Again, we need a foundation. We need players to play and then we need players to cover the first XI.
"Now, let's put it into context. For example, in the midfield, you have Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
"So, for me and for Mikel it doesn't make sense to sign another player to be on top of them if they are the ones that are going to be playing. That's why we chose Albert Sambi Lokonga to help them.
"If you go up front we have Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli. I want to see them playing together.
"In the number 10 position, we saw a gap there because we just have Emile Smith Rowe. We needed a number 10 with the same quality to be there, help and play.
"Where we needed to spend big, big money, for me and for Mikel, that was in the centre-back position because we needed someone to fill that position.
"David Luiz was leaving, and this was the one where we needed someone to come here and straight away have an impact on the team with the right profile of what we believe for the short, medium and long term.
"That was Ben White. That is why we went there and signed Ben White to give the squad what the squad needed."
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