Wenger: I never considered going for Sterling

The Arsenal boss, along with a host of other managers, had been linked with a summer bid for the Liverpool contract rebel but says he is already overloaded with wide players

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal were never in the running to sign Raheem Sterling as the winger closes in on a record move to Manchester City.

The 20-year-old is primed to become the most expensive Englishman of all time as he nears a £49 million switch to the Etihad Stadium, though had been linked with a host of other clubs.

Real Madrid were rumoured to have been tracking the England international, while Chelsea and Arsenal were both thought to be monitoring the situation, with Sterling understood to prefer a return to London.

But Wenger says he never seriously considered entering the bidding for the Liverpool contract rebel because of his embarrassment of riches in wide areas.

“It looked a done deal for a while because Sterling was adamant he wanted the move,” said Wenger after touching down at Singapore's Changi Airport.

“It is a good buy for Man City. It is an expensive one but they can afford it.

“We never considered it because he plays in an area where we have plenty of players. We have [Theo] Walcott, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Alexis] Sanchez, [Jack] Wilshere who can play wide, [Serge] Gnabry, so we have plenty of players and he’s a wide player basically, or behind the striker.”