Wenger admits the 28-year-old, who has been made available on a free transfer by Newcastle, is ‘a great player’.
Barton has recently been linked with a move to the Gunners.
Wenger told The Guardian: “Nobody dismisses signing Joey Barton, but I don’t think we envisage doing that at the moment.
“I like the courage of the player. He’s a good player. Sometimes there’s trouble with his temper but he’s a great player.”
He added jokingly: “Maybe the way to sort Barton out is to sign him. Maybe that’s the solution.”
