Exclusive - Former Arsenal boss George Graham fears Arsene Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market

Former Arsenal boss George Graham claims Arsene Wenger may have lost his touch in the transfer market.

With the Gunners poised to complete an eighth successive season without any silverware, Wenger’s position is under increasing scrutiny.

And Graham believes the Frenchman, who had a reputation for unearthing cut-price talent during his hugely successful early years in north London, may need to rethink his recruitment policy to turn things around.

“The last few seasons, the standard has slipped because the players coming into the club, in my opinion, are inferior to the players that were there seven years ago,” said the former Arsenal boss.

“His first spell at the club was phenomenal. Three League Championships, four FA Cups, finishing in the top four for 15 years - that is a phenomenal record. But he has raised his own bar and he has to ask himself if he has fallen a little bit.

“It’s all about players. If you are a great manager, it's down to the players you put on the pitch. Arsenal have never been big spenders. When Wenger first came to the club, he was buying them at bargain prices and making them into world-class players.

“He has been brilliant with what he has achieved at the club - building a new stadium, building a new training ground. But the last few seasons it’s been slipping away gradually. The onus is now on finishing in the top four, whereas before the onus was on winning the Premier League.

“The first thing you have got to ask is who is bringing the players to the club? Is it Arsene or is it the scouting staff? Who has he got, not just in England, but all around the world?

“You’ve got to ask who is bringing in the players of the quality that was brought in during his first six or seven years at the club. That has been the problem. The quality coming in now is not of the quality it was when he first came.”