Wenger has been criticised for relying too much on youth and has come under pressure to break his usual spending trend by buying big-name players this summer.

To date, the Frenchman has landed Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax while he reportedly remains in the market for further additions.

A defensive midfielder is said to be high on Wenger's list of priorities, but it seems he will lose out on Fiorentina's Felipe Melo, who is likely to join Juventus.

Almunia, 32, is eager to lift the Gunners' first trophy since 2005 and is hopeful Wenger will complement the current crop of talent at the Emirates Stadium ahead of the new season.

"It's great to have a young team but youth doesn't give you titles," the Spaniard said.

"To go a step further players need to demand more of themselves, be more professional, braver in big games.

"We need the manager to work harder to get what we need, the club to make an extra effort to make us more competitive. We need more than youth."