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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has the financial backing to break the club’s transfer record this summer, according to Gunners director Lord Harris. After a period of financing the Emirates Stadium, Lord Harris told the Daily Mail the money is now available to buy almost any player in the world.

“We would back him to break the club’s transfer record. If he wanted the man, he could have him,” he said.

“Apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, he could have any player.”

Wenger, who has been Arsenal manager since 1996, has guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and five FA Cup wins.

They went nine years without winning a trophy before lifting the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015.

Wenger signed Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil for £42.4m to break their club record by £27.4m in September 2013.

He also spent £35m on Chile forward Alexis Sanchez last summer.

“Money was tight when we moved to the Emirates but it’s a lot freer now,” said Lord Harris. “We could go into the market and probably buy any player in the world, apart from half-a-dozen who are unbuyable.

Harris also revealed that a centre forward is on the list but refused to indicate who the player was.

The Arsenal director hinted that the player is a superstar from a club that does not need to sell.

“We get a list of the players that Wenger wants. On the list is a centre forward, but I’m not going to tell you who he is.

“You’ve got to get the other team to want to sell him, but I think he wants to come. It basically comes down to whether the other team can find a superstar to replace him, because they don’t have to sell.”

In recent weeks, Arsenal have been linked with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski and Borussia Dortmund’s Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal signed goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea in a deal worth about £10m earlier this summer. — BBC Sport