Arsene Wenger admits he was ready to let Francis Coquelin leave

Francis Coquelin's career at Arsenal is thriving, thanks to Mikel Arteta.

If Arteta hadn't injured himself in December, Arsenal's search for a defensive midfielder would have continued into the summer, and Coquelin would be in search of a new club at season's end.

But Coquelin's rejuvenation during Arteta's absence has earned him a new contract and the trust of manager Arsene Wenger.

Wenger admits he was prepared to give up on the young Frenchman, who was on loan at Charlton Athletic until Arteta's injury left the team short of midfielders, after several years of uninspired performances.

"In myself, (I thought) if he doesn't play at Christmas at all, and there's only six months of his contract to go, I (would) let him go somewhere else," Wenger said.

"He wasn't happy when I called him back (from Charlton). He played there and he thought I just called him back as cover. He expected in fact to play against QPR and was not playing and was surprised when I played him against West Ham."

Instead, Coquelin turned out to be the piece Arsenal lacked in the midfield scheme, proving a near-impossible obstacle for opposing teams.

Coquelin's identity crisis was the biggest thing holding him back in the early stages of his career at the Emirates Stadium. His unwillingness to recognize his capabilities on the pitch prevented Coquelin from flourishing into the defensive-minded player Wenger thought he purchased from Stade Lavallois in 2008.

"I think he analysed well what he is good at, defending in midfield," Wenger said. "He was in between the playmaking position and being a box-to-box player, but he is not that - he's a sitting player who can win the ball.

"He restricted his game to that and you make success in life with what you're good at. You don't have all the qualities but you have to express what you're good at and he's good at that."

While his performances will rarely show up on the stat sheets, Coquelin is a force to be reckoned with as the last line of defence in the midfield. Since his return to the Premier League in December, the 23-year-old is head and shoulders above the rest of the league in terms of duels won (97), and sits just behind Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta for the lead in tackles (39).

He's currently dealing with a broken nose, but should make his return to the heart of Arsenal's midfield and help the club's push for a Champions League spot.