Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on Francis Coquelin for his performances since breaking into the first team earlier this season.
Coquelin spent more than a month out on loan at Championship outfit Charlton Athletic towards the end of 2014, but was recalled by Wenger and quickly displaced Mathieu Flamini as the Gunners' first-choice midfield enforcer.
The 24-year-old has gone on to play 27 times for the club in all competitions this season, and Wenger believes that the Frenchman would receive a lot more credit for his displays if he were a big-money January signing.
"The world has changed. The appreciation today of the quality of a player is just down with the money you spend. If we had bought Coquelin at Christmas for £40m, everyone would say 'what a signing'. I am sorry he didn't cost any money, he is still a good player," Wenger is quoted as saying by PA.
"What is a player worth today? Nobody knows really. I just wanted to say that if we had bought [Coquelin], nobody would complain that he was a good player. Nobody would dispute that his performances have been convincing and that he is ready for a fight even if somebody comes in.
"He has shown he has the capacity to play for us and play a big part in the success of the team. I extended his contract, that means I believe in him."
Arsenal will effectively seal a top-three finish in the Premier League this season if they pick up a point from their final two matches of the campaign.
Barney Corkhill
