Arsène Wenger has claimed that no other manager or club in world football – including Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson – can match his record for giving players their break at the highest level.

The Arsenal manager said: "One day I'll give you the list of those at the top level who have made careers with me and you will see. You will be absolutely astonished. I don't make any list but when I meet someone and think: 'Oh, he started with me,' then you see.

"You need to be strong do this. If you reproach me for not buying players, well if I buy players, Jack Wilshere [who is 18] doesn't come out, so you cannot have everything. I'm long enough in the job to have a development policy to educate the players and the most difficult is to stand up for it and play them."

Asked if he believes his record is better than any other manager, Wenger said: "Of course. There is nobody else in the world. Take the list of the players who started here. Johan Djourou, where has he started? Here. [Philippe] Senderos, where has he started? [Gaël] Clichy, where has he started? [Kieran] Gibbs? Where has he started? [Cesc] Fábregas? Where has he started? [Alexandre] Song? Where has he started? [Abou] Diaby has basically never played before at the top level. Ashley Cole. If you go back, it is unbelievable the number of players who started at this club."

In the 1990s Sir Alex Ferguson developed a wave of homegrown players at Manchester United that included Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers. But Wenger dismissed the Scot's recent record. "When I arrived [as Arsenal manager in September 1996] nearly all their team had started [at United]. Not recently," he said.

What of Barcelona or Real Madrid? "Real Madrid? Zero. Barcelona has, but I speak about me," he said. "When I go back to Monaco [where he was manager between 1987-1994] the number of players that started with me, [for example] Emmanuel Petit and Lilian Thuram."

Wenger rejected criticism that he is reluctant to spend money on transfers. "Of course people say always to buy but you cannot make careers and lives of people and on top of that buy every time you have an injured player.

"You know I have the wrong reputation. I'm not scared to spend money. The job of a manager is not to spend as much money. To get [Marouane] Chamakh for free [this summer] – instead of getting credit, you get accused for getting him for free: 'Why did you not spend £20m for him?' If I buy him two years ago for £20m it's OK. But when you get him for free it's, 'Oh, he didn't spend money.'"