How significant is Matthieu Flamini’s departure from Arsenal? Indeed, if reports are to be believed Alexander Hleb could soon be joining him. In a fortnight when the Premier League title will be decided on the final day and the Champions League final will feature two English sides, the focus is of course on Manchester United and Chelsea. What must Arsenal fans and supporters be thinking?

For large parts of this season Arsene Wenger’s side have been lauded for their football but at the business end of the season they are not part of the season-defining games and will end the campaign without a trophy.

Flamini, a player who has been vital to Arsenal this season, has been lured by Milan and perhaps it is indicative of how he sees Arsenal that he chose to move. Indeed, Milan’s sporting director twisted the knife further when he said: “In order to convince champions you need to take into account their ambitions. To get champions you have to think big.”

The implication that Milan is a bigger club than Arsenal is there for all to see but since Wenger has taken charge of the club he has moved them forward. However, has he moved them forward enough to be considered a big club? By big I mean in European terms. Arsenal have yet to win the European Cup and even using this simplistic measure Arsenal are lacking. Financially they are well equipped to compete but for whatever reason Wenger does not spend the rumoured transfer funds at his disposal.

It was hoped by fans that this summer Wenger would add to his young squad. However, rather than add to the squad, it seems that Wenger may have to replace what he already had.

Flamini will not be easy to replace given the position he plays in. Wenger did have a ready-made replacement but he chose to sell Lassana Diarra to Portsmouth. To make matters worse, there are strong rumours that another first-team player looks likely to leave with Alexander Hleb interesting several top clubs abroad.

It is well known that Arsenal are not the highest payers and if the likes of Flamini and Hleb can earn double the salary elsewhere is it any surprise that they leave? In addition Arsenal’s failure to win a trophy for the third consecutive season may also be a deciding factor for some players. Players want to win but they also want to be well-paid. At the moment, Arsenal are providing neither.

So what does Wenger do in the summer? Instead of adding to his squad he is looking to rebuild his team. Both Hleb and Flamini have been fundamental to the team but there is an argument to suggest that Arsenal’s first team does not contain the number of match-winners that rivals possesses. Hleb is no Cristiano Ronaldo. Indeed Adebayor, for all his talents, is no Fernando Torres. Fabregas is the closest Arsenal have to a match winner but whereas Manchester United can call on Tevez, Rooney, Nani or Scholes to win them a game, likewise Chelsea can call on Drogba, Ballack, Lampard, Joe Cole, Essien or Anelka. Even Liverpool have more match winners that Arsenal.

With Flamini gone and Hleb possibly following him, rather than a difficult summer rebuilding, Wenger should seize the opportunity to buy the players that will turn Arsenal from a team playing pretty football to a team that will win trophies. There have been times this season when Arsenal have not won the games they should have.

Arsenal are blessed with talented players who keep the ball but possession has become an obsession when at the end of the day it is shots on target and goals that win games.

Wenger has an opportunity to now change the team’s direction. Whether he does is highly unlikely. Wenger is stubborn in his belief that his way is the way. Three trophy-less seasons is, however, a fact.

A final point to note that should Hleb follow Flamini then since Wenger has been in charge there has been a trend of players eventually leaving Arsenal. Anelka went to Real Madrid, Henry followed Overmars and Petit to Barcelona and Vieira to Juventus. It is fair to say that all these clubs are bigger than Arsenal. Whether all these players went on to better things is debateable but ultimately the lure of playing for these clubs, along with the bigger salary, says a great deal about Arsenal. As a club they are not yet at the top tier of the European football. Neither are Chelsea but they have a chance of being the first London club to be crowned champions of Europe in a little under two weeks and if they continue to be successful then they will certainly be considered one of Europe’s big clubs.