ST PETERSBURG (REUTERS) - Arsene Wenger's experience as Arsenal manager will give the club an edge next season when English Premier League rivals have new men at the top, a major investor in the club said on Thursday.

Farhad Moshiri also said Arsenal would start to benefit from a £30 million-pound deal with Puma, echoing media reports that the German sportswear company was set to replace Nike as the club's kit supplier.

"Arsene Wenger was the reason we invested and he is very much the reason why we continue to support the club," Moshiri told Reuters in an interview.

Moshiri, who with Uzbek-born business partner Alisher Usmanov owns almost 30 per cent of Arsenal, said Wenger's longevity would be an advantage when champions Manchester United and rivals Manchester City and Chelsea are all under new management.

"He remains the one with deep experience in the top four, and that provides a significant edge for the club," the Iran-born Moshiri added.