Arsenal’s Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis has claimed that once the Gunners renew their commercial sponsorship deals in 2014, they will remain the world’s elite financially.

According to The Telegraph, the club should benefit hugely from renewing contracts with the sponsors who helped fund the Emirates Stadium eight years ago by negotiating the contracts at far higher premiums. Arsenal are likely to be able to achieve this due to their global appeal and success of the Emirates Stadium which the North London club made their home in 2005.

Gazidis believes that the contract renewals in 2014 will prove as integral for the club going forward as the move from Highbury to the Emirates was seven years ago, “In terms of financial impact, it will as significant a step forward as the stadium was in 2005.”

Gazidis also confirmed that once the commercial deals will be completed in two years time, then the Gunners will rank alongside the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona financially, “It does kick us into the top five clubs in the world with separation from the rest. The overall journey that the club embarked on was to make it one of the leading clubs in the world and to do it in a way that would be sustainable.”

In April 2012, Forbes Magazine revealed that Arsenal were the world’s fourth richest club behind the two Spanish giants and Manchester United with an estimated worth of around £807 million. This estimated worth was more than double the value placed on Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as other European giants such as Juventus and Schalke 04.

The Arsenal Chief Executive also hit back at claims that the club had a lack of ambition following departures of key players in recent seasons including, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie, “We get accused of a lack of ambition or complacency because apparently the board are only interested in the top four. That is absolute rubbish. To me this is the most ambitious football club I know.”

Gazidis also revealed that he was strongly in favour of the UEFA Financial Fair Play rules and believes that UEFA President Michel Platini is not out to hinder English clubs by implementing them, “I think there is a perception that Michel Platini devised an evil plan in his bath to go after English football. That’s just simply not the case.”

Gazidis added, “They are not rules coming down on high, they are actually rules the club’s developed in conjunction with UEFA. We are seeing very serious discussions with the Premier League about introducing these regulations. It’s going to happen and it’s happening faster than people realise.”