Arsène Wenger insists he will have money to spend on improving Arsenal's roster this January.

“There is a huge difference between the perception that people have of me and [the reality]: I’m not scared to spend money,” said Wenger. “If you go out with me one night, you will understand that.”

Arsenal has spent more heavily than usual during the past two summers on Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil, but have not been able to improve their defense.

Wenger maintains that the image of him as a miser was forced upon him by the years of austerity while the club paid for the construction of the Emirates Stadium but says he is now free of those shackles and ready and willing to plunge into next month’s transfer market, as appropriate.

“What I don’t like is to spend money that I don’t have,” he said. “Now I have money so no problem spending it at all. What I fought against was spending money that would have put the future of the club in danger.”

Arsenal is looking for a center-back in January and Wenger says that if the club identify a suitable replacement, an offer will be made “without any doubt.”