Owen Coyle expects Arsenal to revive their interest in Gary Cahill in the January transfer window but the Bolton Wanderers manager has warned them to expect competition now that the centre-half has established himself as an England international.

Cahill travels to the Emirates on Saturday still a Bolton player after Arsenal's somewhat belated offer for his services in the summer failed to meet his club's valuation. Bolton were looking for something in the region of £16m, which may have been on the high side for a player with only a year left on his contract, but felt they had no option but to refuse when Arsenal's courtship of the player resulted in a bid reportedly less than half that amount. Tottenham then failed in an attempt to sign Cahill on the final day of the transfer window.

"We were prepared to do business, we always said we wouldn't stand in the way if a move was in the player's best interests, but ideally you would like the deal to go through early in the window so that you can get on with finding a replacement," Coyle said. "When it gets to a late stage in the window it is more difficult for the club and the player, but we were realistic about the prospect of losing Gary right up to the last day and always open with him, even though selling him at that point would have left us a hole to fill.

"In the end we never got close to that dilemma; with the figures mentioned a deal wasn't going to happen. I know Arsène Wenger admires Gary, and wouldn't have a problem with him coming back in January, but if I'm honest I think there will be more clubs than Arsenal in for him next time."

The Bolton manager does not believe the uncertainty has affected Cahill's form, either for club or country, and is sure the defender will be able to put any disappointment out of his mind on Saturday. "Gary is always conscientious and focused on his football," he said. "He's been just the same, level lad throughout all this. Of course he's only a human being so naturally he has found the last few weeks distracting, but I think he showed with England in Bulgaria that he can put it to one side and concentrate on his game.

"He's a great player at a great age, with plenty of scope for continued improvement, and all he has to do now is keep doing what he does best. His performances for Bolton Wanderers were what got him into the England team to begin with. He doesn't have anything to prove to anyone at Arsenal."

Greeting suggestions that Arsenal are in disarray with a frank admission that Bolton are not in the greatest shape either, Coyle pointed out with some justification that Wenger's side had been "sensational" in the early part of the game against Blackburn last Saturday and should really have had a win wrapped up by the interval.

"Arsenal are packed with quality, and Arsène Wenger is one of the top managers in world football," he said. "I don't think for a moment Arsenal could find a better manager to replace him, but everything in this league is scrutinised and analysed and even the best managers have to accept criticism from time to time. People will always have opinions and not everyone will agree, but that's the nature of the game we're in."