Wenger defends lack of spending

ARSENE WENGER has defended his gamble not to make a significant investment in new players this season by insisting his current Arsenal squad should have been good enough to win the title.

Thierry Henry said after this week's defeat by Manchester United the key to losing out to Chelsea was "injuries and our bench not being the same as other teams."

Wenger has nevertheless rejected suggestions his board had turned down his appeals for transfer cash and claimed he looked for worldclass players at the right price but could not find them.

"I had some money if I had needed it. There is no problem in spending the money," he stressed.

"But I feel we had the necessary quality to win the championship with the players we have.

"It's always easy to say that we aren't responsible for anything, so let's buy. These are the same players who won the championship unbeaten last year."

Wenger did not buy another centre-back last summer even though he says their careless defending has since cost them.

"We felt there was no need, with Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, as well as Pascal Cygan and Philippe Senderos, to buy players just for the sake of buying.

"I feel we have the necessary quality but our quality is young. At the start of the campaign, you don't necessarily plan to lose Gilberto and Edu after you have lost Parlour, Wiltord and Kanu.

"Then you must put your young players in straight away. But now they have gained the experience, to buy players who would play in front of them would be a huge mistake."

But despite having spent a club record fee on Jose Reyes 12 months earlier, Wenger was still not lured into action in the January transfer window, believing too many players are then over-priced.

"Give me the names of the worldclass players who were available in January?" he asked.

"Javier Mascherano? He is not qualified for England as far as I know. He doesn't have the right number of internationals and no passport. We could have had Nicolas Anelka back but for how much?"