However, it is understood that Wenger, once he is given a budget, sets the pay bands with the board deferring to his judgment. "We have no players on £200,000 a week and I think other clubs will come down to us with financial fair play," he said. "We have a more socialist model." Indeed Arsenal's wage bill, at £143 million a year, according to the latest figures, is the fourth highest in the Premier League and yet the club has not won a trophy for seven years – although it has qualified for the Champions League every season.
One interesting comparison is that while United pay star names such as Wayne Rooney more than £200,000 a week, Danny Welbeck was earning £15,000 a week despite playing for the first-team until he signed an improved contract last August.
At Arsenal the top earner Podolski is reputed to earn just over £100,000 a week while several squad players are paid £60,000 a week. That explains how the average wage at United has been estimated at £64,000 a week while at Arsenal it is claimed to be £61,000 a week.
Wenger is one of the highest-paid managers, on £7 million a year, and he admitted that "it's not enough" for Arsenal to simply qualify for the Champions League every year. It is time for a trophy to be won although, naturally, given it is only the third round of the competition he dismissed suggestions that the FA Cup represented Arsenal's best chance this season.
"For people the Champions League is very important today," Wenger said. "It makes a massive difference to everybody inside the club and to recruit the players and keep players. You need to be in the Champions League first.
"People always dispute that with me and I agree it's not enough but it's the basic requirement to keep the top, top level players. And after that you want to win trophies like the championship and the FA Cup and the Champions League."
Winning trophies also, Wenger said, brings about a change in a team. "There is a change, of course . There is an aura around the team that is built through the history of the team and it makes them feel strong together and it's quite an energy that builds up inside the team that you sense and it's linked to the success that the team achieves."
Wenger said he was acutely aware of the importance of winning silverware. "It would improve the confidence of the players and also the fact that you can be consistent — that improves the confidence," he said. "It's important to fight for the championship and as long as we don't do that something will be questioned. That is where lies the strength of the club and the team."
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