Wenger: I Don't Spend Because I Treat Arsenal Like It Belongs to Me

​Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told ​L'Equipe that he's only so stingy in the transfer window because he treats the club as if it belongs to him, saying that he wants to leave one day with the knowledge that he's left a strong foundation to build upon for his successor. 

He's been accused of being afraid of spending money in the transfer market by fans on a number of occasions, especially in the most recent summer transfer window which saw him fail to buy a single senior outfield player as he tried to build the club up for a title challenge. 

He said: “I’ll give myself merit for one thing: I’ve always treated Arsenal as if it belonged to me. I have sometimes been criticised for it – because I am not enough of a spender, not carefree enough. I credit myself for having had the courage to apply my ideas and fight for them. Aside from that, I can understand why people might not agree.

“My great pride will be to be able to say the day that I leave, that I am leaving behind a good team, a healthy situation and a club capable of performing in the future. I could have said to myself: ‘I am here for four or five years, we win everything’, [then] I leave and leave the club on the verge of bankruptcy. For me, consistency at the highest level is the true sign of great clubs.”

The Gunners are currently the Premier League's form team, sitting just behind Manchester City at the top of the table on goal difference, but their lack of options up front means that a number of fans and pundits are still advocating for the signing of another top level front man when the transfer window opens in January