Wenger: I nearly bought Hargreaves TWICE
Published 16:44 28/11/11 By John Cross
Arsene Wenger has revealed he TWICE thought about signing Owen Hargreaves.
Manchester City midfielder Hargreaves, battling back from long term injury, could face the Gunners tomorrow night in their Carling Cup showdown.
Arsenal boss Wenger, intending to field a mix of youth and experience against City, says he looked at him before he joined Manchester United and then considered it again in the summer when he was a free agent.
Wenger said: "It's hard to miss years through injury. When they come back it shows great mental strength and Owen Hargreaves has that.
"He was a regular in the England national team and now for years he has not played at all. Everybody is happy to see him back.
"When he played at Bayern Munich we followed him very closely but it was big transfer - I think he was sold to Manchester United for £17 million at the time and he only had one year left on his contract. So we didn't move in for him at that time.
"In the summer, you consider it but we had players like Frimpong and Coquelin coming back - Song and Diaby in these defensive positions where we were not really in the need."
Wenger admitted he has "90 per cent" picked his team which will feature Ju Young Park, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun as he rests some big guns.
But Wenger believes he will still have enough to compete with City's millionaires and is keen to keep the club's momentum going.
Wenger said: "I have 90 per cent decided. There is still 10 per cent flexibility and because of this I cannot tell you who plays. It will be the usual blend of experience and youth.
"I will rest some players but I still want to play a team that has a chance to win the game. For example, players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emmanuel Frimpong will play, but I consider them to be first-team players.
"Overall, Alex has the quality and I can only show that I believe in that in buying him, secondly in playing him - but also by working with him on the training pitch. Alex is developing very well. He is very positive and he works very hard.
"[Marouane] Chamakh will go to the African Cup of Nations in January. Park is adapting to the level he is facing here and he has another opportunity against Man City tomorrow night to show that he can do it.
"Yossi [Benayoun] has been absolutely fantastic but we have so much choice in midfield and we play with three strikers. The chances for the midfielders are not so big and that's why he has not played as much as he deserves.
"The attitude of all the players that came in has been great, everybody helps focus the team to win and he does that as well.
"Of course every time Arsenal is involved it is our pride and ambition to do well. We want to win the match and get through. Therefore, we will try to give absolutely everything. It is important for the whole Club to show our strengths again.
"What you call a second-string side for Man City still involves some very good players. If you look at the team who played Wolves they still have seven or eight players, who you don't know if they are first or second string.
"The good news for us is that we expect to play against a strong side and that we know we will only go through if we produce a top class performance. Let's focus on that."
Wenger is also determined to make up for last season's Carling Cup heartbreak in the final when they lost to Birmingham.
The Arsenal boss said: "We would love to make up for it. It is a cup, so you go from round to round. We have the chance to play at home which means no big travel and of course we want to use the opportunity to do well tomorrow and qualify."
Wenger has also paid his own moving tribute to Gary Speed after the Wales boss committed suicide on Sunday.
Wenger said: "It was a shock, of course. I personally don't know him very well but you never liked to see him on the team sheet against you. He was a good player, good in the air and had a fantastic work rate.
"He was very intelligent on the football pitch. As a manager he started to turn things around for Wales. We know they have a young, promising team and he was the ideal figure to go on with this team for improvement.
"It's of course extremely sad and you are speechless in front of things like that. You just have offer your condolences to everybody who knew him and his family."
Family 'overwhelmed' by tributes to Gary Speed
