Wenger: I was going to let Coquelin leave for free

The midfielder has impressed since returning from a loan spell at Charlton, although the manager admits he almost allowed him to depart the club

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he was prepared to let Francis Coquelin leave the club for free before his resurgence in form.

The midfielder spent time on loan at Charlton Athletic early in the campaign but has become a key member of Wenger's squad since his return in December.

The 23-year-old was rewarded with a new contract in February, but Wenger admits that he was willing to allow Coquelin to leave upon the expiration of his previous deal, which ran until the end of the season.

"It is a surprise to everybody," the manager told the club's official website. "The only thing I do is that I never say never to anybody. In my job you have to be open-minded like that. You have to make decisions at times. But never close the door completely for anybody.

"He was not in my plans at the start of the season. I told him to give absolutely everything until Christmas, then we would see together where he was. If you respect that you have done a big part of your job.

"To myself, I thought if he doesn't play at Christmas at all, and there's only six months of his contract to go, I would let him go somewhere else.

"He wasn't happy when I called him back from Charlton. He played there and he thought I just called him back as cover. He expected in fact to play against QPR and was not playing and was surprised when I played him against West Ham.

"He knows it's an opportunity for him now. Sometimes when you wait for such a long time to get your chance and you get it... the human being is a strange animal - the more you have suffered before, the more you enjoy it.

"On that front I think he has gone through a lot of doubt, questioning himself, certainly at many times being discouraged that he didn’t get a chance. Now that he has a chance he doesn't want to let it slip away. But he is a winner and he wants to win - that's why he is so committed."

Wenger says Coquelin has thrived since being deployed as a defensive midfielder after some initial uncertainty over his best position.

"I think he analysed well what he is good at: defending in midfield," he said. "He was in between the playmaking position and being a box-to-box player, but he is not that - he's a sitting player who can win the ball.

"He restricted his game to that and you make success in life with what you're good at. You don't have all the qualities but you have to express what you're good at and he's good at that.