Arsène Wenger believes Chelsea’s big spending has priced many of their rivals out of the transfer market.
The Arsenal manager claimed Shaun Wright-Phillips cost roughly double his real value.
“Do you really think Wright-Phillips would have cost £21m had Chelsea not come in for him?” Wenger asked, before adding that his true value was around the £10m mark.
“There’s two markets,” said Wenger.
“One that Chelsea is in, which is quite lively and high. The one that Chelsea is not in is morose. You cannot take Chelsea as a reference for the market place.”
Michael Owen has been one of the players linked to Arsenal.
“I have nothing against Michael Owen. I love him,” said Wenger before admitting that the former Liverpool man may not be compatible with Thierry Henry.
“Can they live together? I don’t know frankly. Thierry is not yet the age to play a little bit deeper.”
