Wenger salute as legend Seaman bids to put up the shutters on Arsenal
After 13 years and a bundle of medals with Arsenal, Seaman was offered the job of goalkeeping coach plus a back-up role to whomever was brought in to take over his first team shirt.
It seems certain there was also a reduction in the financial terms on offer.
Although he had already been dropped by England after 75 caps, Seaman wanted to carry on at the top and jumped at a two-year deal with Kevin Keegan's Manchester City.
Arsenal boss Wenger, who eventually paid £1.5m to replace him with German keeper Jens Lehmann, confessed: "I wanted David to stay but my worry was that he would struggle to play 60 games anymore.
"If David had stayed he would have been goalkeeper-coach now but have since taken on somebody else after he said he wanted to keep playing.
"It was a tough decision for me to let him go. I looked at the experience he had and knew how valuable that would be in the dressing room.
"But I am still happy he's playing on in the Premier League because that's what he wanted. I still have every respect for his quality and the way he has handled a lot of media pressure.
"If I had to bet I don't think he will be England number one again but if David James is injured it would be a big chance for him.
"I think Sven (Goran Eriksson, England coach) will be hard pressed not to pick David if James had to miss the vital game against Turkey. For me the two are equal best in England."
Wenger, who said he sometimes starts to write 'Seaman' instead of 'Lehmann' at the top of his team sheet every week, conceded the 33-year-old German star from Borussia Dortmund has still not completely replaced the old master at Highbury.
"But he has done very well so far and the confidence he shows has come with a lot of experience," he said.
Lehmann has impressed Arsenal fans with his willingness to deal with crosses, which in latter years had become a flaw in the Seaman armoury.
The veteran also looked culpable for two Blackburn goals from crosses in City's 3-2 win over Blackburn on Monday, although Wenger refuses to publicly subscribe to that theory.
City was saved in that game by a brilliant winner from another former Arsenal star Nicolas Anelka, who is showing signs this season of regaining the form which made him an international ace at Highbury five years ago.
Anelka lost his hero status in north London when he walked out on his contract to join Real Madrid but Wenger insisted: "I'm always glad to meet him and to see him doing well.
"We didn't want to lose him but it happened, and now we have Thierry Henry in his place. Five or six years ago Nicolas was one of the few big and quick strikers in the Premiership. Now every club seems to have one."
Wenger knows that Anelka will test Arsenal's suspect defence on Sunday, especially with Sol Campbell missing through a one-match suspension following his red card on the opening day of the season against Everton.
But Gunners have conceded only one goal in the first three games this season and have the dependable Keown, 36 ready to step in.
With young Ivory Coast international Kolo Toure still bedding down into a central defence role, Wenger realises Arsenal have to get it right at the back to make a bigger impact in the Champions League this season.
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