Arsene Wenger has revealed Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye came close to joining the Gunners ahead of their clash next Monday.
The France international was a stand-out performer for Newcastle, scoring 17 goals in 79 league appearances before his switch to Paris Saint Germain in 2014 and drawing transfer interest from several clubs. There were reports that Arsene Wenger is a long term admirer of Cabaye’s qualities and tried to sign him during his time at the James Park.
Ahead of their clash, Wenger has revealed: ‘Yohan is a good player, we were interested in him at some stage [when he was] at Newcastle.
‘But we don’t speculate on weaknesses. Crystal Palace have big qualities and many good players, one player missing is not a problem for clubs anymore.’
‘Look, it was for sure a big surprise because they were away,’ the 67-year-old said. ‘Certainly it was a shock for Chelsea, but the win is in the continuity of the Premier League this season.
‘The difference between the teams has become shorter and smaller. But the result does not change my thinking of the game, we need to play our best to win.’
The Gunners have not been convincing in the recent games, but bounced back against West Ham last Wednesday, beating them 3-0 at the Emirates and will hope to continue in same fashion against Palace.
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