Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has claimed that the form of Francis Coquelin may have stopped the club from completing more business in the January transfer window.

The Gunners were rumoured to be in the market for a defensive midfielder this month, and Henry believes that Coquelin, who has started six times since returning from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic in December, has been key to their impressive form recently.

"For me the best thing they've done is bring Coquelin back from Charlton," the Frenchman revealed on Sky Sports News. "Maybe if he hadn't come back and played the way he did recently, Arsene [Wenger] would have gone and bought a defensive midfielder.

"He has been amazing, Arsenal don't look like they will concede, they can score and he gave everyone protection everybody was talking about.

"Sometimes you look for that player and they are right in front of you. But the guy has matured, he went on loan, and knows he had to perform and he is doing it."

Coquelin had made just 21 Premier League appearances for Arsenal before this season.