Arsenal gives go-ahead for 'now affordable' Rooney, A-Listers as cash rolls in

Arsenal has given manager Arsene Wenger the go-ahead to make a mega-cash deal to bring in Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and other stars.

According to the Mirror, the north Londoners' commercial deals are likely to top 300 million pounds with their upcoming Puma kit tie-up, making it clear that Arsenal has the financial clout to compete for A-Listers like Rooney or Barcelona's ex-Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas as the summer transfer window kicks into gear.

Insisting that Arsenal is entering a new 'escalation of financial firepower', chief executive Ivan Gazidis said that they can now easily afford to buy 20 million pound-plus Rooney on wages of over 200,000 pounds-a-week as they have a reserve amount, plus new revenue streams coming on board.

Gazidis further said that the club can now look at options which looked previously impossible considering their former financial capability, adding that it is a progression over the next two seasons and is quite significant for the club.

Likening Arsenal's set-up to that of European champions Bayern Munich, Gazidis insisted that the Gunners, who have not won a trophy since May 2005, could be genuine contenders for silverware for next season, adding that they are an extremely ambitious club.

Gazidis further said that his whole journey for the past ten years has been about putting Arsenal up with the best in the world and turning that platform now into on-field success.