Arsenal put making money ahead of the team bond, says former defender Lauren

Former Arsenal defender Lauren believes his one-time club is now more interested in “money-making” than the dressing room bond at the club.

Between 2000 and 2006 Lauren made over 200 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side, playing 32 league games during ‘The Invincibles’ unbeaten title-winning 2003/04 campaign.

Lauren also won another Premier League title and three FA Cups in his time at the club. Since his departure and the dismantling of Wenger’s greatest side Arsenal have won just two items of silverware. They seem set to end this season without a trophy and face another Champions League elimination when they travel to Barcelona tonight.

However the club remain on a firm financial footing, with around £160million in cash reserves available and with what chairman Sir Chips Keswick labelled “robust growth” in off-field commercial activities. It is that focus on the financial bottom line that Lauren bemoaned.

“Now Arsenal is a money-making machine and that closeness has been lost,” he told AS. “It's understandable.

“Pat Boyle [a club employee who passed away in 2011. His responsibilities included helping new arrival settle] used to come to collect me and he was one of us. Nowadays there are so many departments that it's difficult to know everyone personally.”

The right-back, now 39 and retired since 2010, was part of the squad who reached the final of the 2006 Champions League. Though he missed the final and the knockout stage through injury Lauren was awarded a runners-up medal after defeat to Barcelona.

But both he and his team-mates, led by captain Thierry Henry, were far from happy to have made it so far only to fall at the final hurdle.

“Henry was very sad after that,” Lauren added. “Despite the fact that he is French, he lived in London just like the rest of us. I think that's still a sore point for him.

“[My memories of the day were] not great. I was on crutches and I was with my wife and kids. They gave me the medal for being runners-up but I left it in the dressing room. I didn't want it.”