Arsène Wenger launches defence of record and insists Arsenal will be competitive in the transfer market Asked about Moyes's record on a restricted budget, Wenger said: "Of course I admire him but I can show you our transfer balance over the last 16 years and you would be astonished. People forget we built a new stadium, that we had to go through limited resources, that we maintained the club at the top and we didn't have the money available. I accepted to stay and to do that. And I went through it. We maintained the club at the top and we are now going towards a period where we will be able to compete again financially with other clubs. It was an exciting period but a difficult one and you needed to be strong. We just qualified for 13 consecutive years in the last 16 of the Champions League and, even with all the financial resources we have now, it is not sure we will achieve that in the next 13 years. Arsenal finances have been hugely boosted by a new £150 million sponsorship deal with Emirates. Negotiations are also ongoing with Nike and Adidas over a potential £100 million kit deal. These new arrangements, allied to Uefa's financial fair-play model, should dramatically enhance Arsenal's spending power relative to their competitors. Wenger said that he felt "reinvigorated and spurred" by the prospect of managing again on a more equal financial footing with his main Premier League rivals. "We are in a position where we can compete with the clubs for the transfer period," he said. If you look at the recent years, we have lost players and not small players. Wenger also questioned whether the critics at Villa Park on Saturday really represented the majority view of Arsenal supporters. "The only thing you can say is that the extreme opinions are picked and sold like a majority," he said. I am not worried about me. It does not hurt at all. The players are like me. Our job is somewhere else, on the football pitch. If you have any emotional reaction, you have nothing to do in our job. Arsenal have an existing transfer fund of around £40 million, with a further £30 million then becoming available in the summer. Wenger said that only "top" quality would persuade him to spend in January. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha is being watched regularly while Wenger also agreed that Everton's Marouane Fellaini, who his team must contain on Wednesday night, could " do a job" for Arsenal. Wenger also believes that the club's additional revenue will help keep key players, including Jack Wilshere, who will soon be offered an enhanced and extended contract to a deal that expires in 2015. "There is only one way to show it and that is to commit your long-term future to the club," he said. If the quality is local, it is of course even better because it gives you more guarantee of stability because the players who are English are more likely to stay for a longer term than foreign players.