All smiles: Van Persie looked relaxed during training with his Holland team-mates

He said: 'This football club was placed under terrific pressure at times and I think, for a different club, there would have been the possibility that we would begin to fall apart, panic and make decisions that would have been bad. That is not what happened.'

Regardless of Arsenal's turnaround, Gazidis still thinks the club underachieved last season and is determined to see them challenging for trophies again next term.

'None of this is cause for popping champagne corks at Arsenal,' the 47-year-old said. 'While it is a creditable performance it is not achieving our ambition.

'We want to win the Premier League. We want to compete to win the Champions League. That is what we are planning for during the course of the summer and everything we do is geared towards that.'

Last summer Wenger dallied on replacements for Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy, with Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta all arriving on deadline day.

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