Jose Mourinho: Arsene Wenger has spent big sums, and Arsenal can win the title

Arsene Wenger has delivered three Premier League titles since replacing Bruce Rioch as manager in 1996, but the Gunners have finished no higher than third in each of the last 10 seasons as the Frenchman often shunned big-money signings in favour of developing young talent.

[ANALYSIS: How they have spent: Chelsea v Arsenal]

Arsenal finished 13 points behind Chelsea last season as the Blues won the Premier League at a canter, but Mourinho believes the arrival in recent years of the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy for more than £100 million means the Gunners are ready to challenge for league honours.

"If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years I think maybe you will find a surprise," Mourinho, who allowed goalkeeper Petr Cech to join Arsenal in an £11million deal last month, said in the Guardian.

“Get a calculator. That is one of the easiest things to do. It leaves no space for speculation. If you want to be honest, objective and pragmatic it is the easiest job for a manager or a journalist to do.

"If you put Ozil plus Alexis Sanchez, plus Chambers, plus Debuchy, you will find a surprise. It's a fantastic squad with good players, fantastic goalkeeper, they are more than ready to be a title contender."

Chelsea begin their title defence at home against Swansea on the opening day of the new Premier League season on Saturday, August 8.

Arsenal host West Ham at the Emirates Stadium a day later.

Mourinho is right, Arsenal have started shopping at the top end of the market and even if other rivals are spending more overall, most notably Manchester United, getting players of the quality of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech does bring a certain expectation. On paper, Arsenal's squad looks good enough to have a pop at challenging Chelsea, but the enduring question mark around Arsenal is their mentality. And it will take more than a few expensive signings to remedy that.