WENGER: I NEARLY SOLD KANU
Wenger has an impressive array of forwards at his disposal, with Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord, Francis Jeffers and Dennis Bergkamp, as well as Kanu, all vying for a place in the team and the Frenchman has revealed that he considered selling the former Internazionale star.
Fulham boss Jean Tigana was interested in keeping the gangly Nigerian in London, while a host of Spanish teams, including Malaga, were considering offering him a return to mainland Europe.
However, the player decided that he was better off with Arsenal, with stability a likely contributor ahead of next year`s World Cup.
Kanu has struggled for regular football this term, but proved his worth with The Gunners` goal in their 1-1 draw at Sunderland on Saturday.
Wenger believes Kanu is now ready to challenge for a regular place, but hinted that he could have been with another team had circumstances been different.
"I was ready to let him go because I thought with his class he would not want to settle for just a few games with us this season," said the former Monaco maestro.
"But he said he wanted to stay and fight for his place, and I think he is quite close to that now.
"He`s done very well and, as we know, it is amazing some of the things he can do."
Kanu is unlikely to be a regular starter, as Wenger will continue to rotate his squad as they challenge for honours both domestically and in Europe, but it would seem that he wants stability in his life ahead of next year`s World Cup finals.
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