Arsene Wenger insists there is no way he would sell any of the star midfielders who steered his team to their Champions League victory over Barcelona. The Arsenal manager believes players such as Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and captain Cesc Fabregas are on the verge of stunning the football world.
And while reports continue to link Barcelona and Real Madrid with Fabregas, in particular, Wenger said: 'We need Fabregas. Believe me. He is a special player. He is exceptional and we want to keep them all.' Asked if 'silly money' - £80million has been suggested - would tempt him to sell his Spanish skipper, Wenger added: 'We go for all the competitions because we have the players to cope. We have the quality and the numbers.
'We are in a position where we can say no for financial reasons. We don't need finances.
'People reproach me, saying "Why do you not spend stupid money?". Now they reproach me and say, "Why do you not sell the player". That makes me think we have not worked too bad.' However, Wenger, who takes a strong team to League One Leyton Orient on Sunday in the FA Cup fifth round insisting his side are in with a chance of winning all four trophies this season, admits that it is not easy keeping his entire squad content. He said: 'It is difficult to keep them happy. A player that does not play is never happy. You need the right balance.
'If you have too many players it is demotivating for the players never involved. If you have not enough it is demotivating because they feel too secure. Competition is part of our job.' One of those thought to be unsettled is Russian Andrey Arshavin, who came off the bench to score the winning goal against Barcelona but walked straight down the tunnel at the end and did not join in the mood of celebrations at the Emirates. Wenger said: 'It has been a difficult period for him because I felt he did not play at his level.
'In the last two weeks he is coming back to a good level but I like Andrey as a man. He doesn't hide his feelings. He is a positive person. He is very self-critical. 'You highlight his attitude but I think he was happy, he scored the goal, went in, he doesn't even think about the rest.
'When you have dinner he is the first one that finishes, the first one in his room as well, even when he is playing.' The most pleasing aspect for Wenger against Barcelona was the maturity shown by players such as 19-year-old Wilshere who has brought a hint of steel as well as style to an Arsenal midfield which has learned to scrap.
Wenger, whose side are in the Carling Cup final later this month against Birmingham and lie second in the Premier League, compared Wilshere to Manchester United's Paul Scholes. The Arsenal boss said: 'He (Wilshere) can fight and play. It is more than aggression. I would say commitment. Aggression is something negative. He has a committed attitude. He needs to keep that.
'Jack is good in the defensive box and good in the offensive box. We are used to players being only strong on one side more than the other. He can have both. 'You can go into a fight with him. Sometimes it can be too much at the start but I like this side of his character. He is committed, he will fight for the cause and he will not hide.' Wenger rates Barcelona as the world's greatest football team but is confident his own side have time on their side.
He added: 'The interesting comparison is that the average age of Barcelona was 27.4 and our average age was 23.2. 'That means there are four years difference between the two teams on the maturity side and four years at that level is absolutely huge. We are where we want to be and we hope we can deliver trophies this season. 'The attitude and the commitment of the team to deliver is sensational. I said that in September when everybody questioned us, absolutely everyone.
'It is important we keep this commitment and desire in every training session. The real pride will be when we look at each other at the end of the season and we have given absolutely everything to go as far as we can. I am confident this team will do it.'
Sina hamu kwa hii droo ya leo!
BARCELONA are stunned that the man who helped Arsenal snatch a 16-year-old wonderkid from them is boss Pep Guardiola's BROTHER. Agent Pere Guardiola represents midfielder Jon Miquel Toral Harper, who signed for the London club as soon as he turned 16 last week. His decision has caused uproar at Barcelona, who feel cheated like they did when they lost Cesc Fabregas to the Gunners. BARCELONA are stunned that the man who helped Arsenal snatch a 16-year-old wonderkid from them is boss Pep Guardiola's BROTHER. ... ....
Arsenal is delighted to announce that young defender Elton Monteiro has signed his first professional contract with the Club. The Swiss defender, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Tuesday, has been a regular for Steve Bould's Premier Academy League side, with 18 appearances to his name so far this season.
Cesc Fabregas has been the creative hub of the Arsenal side for years and a new statistic shows that he is now the most inventive player in Europe. Opta revealed this week that the Gunners captain creates a chance from open play on average every 29 minutes. That's the best rate from any player in the continent's leading five divisions. Fabregas has been at it again this season, racking up ten assists in the Premier League alone. And his manager is not surprised to hear that his skipper is top of the European pile. "I am not surprised because I know that, I know the exceptional player he is," Arsène Wenger told Arsenal.com. "He is just sensational, Cesc, and thats why we score goals. We have a few players who can create chances, we are a dangerous side."
CESC FABREGAS will today beg Arsene Wenger to change his mind - and give him a chance to play in Sunday's Carling Cup final. The Arsenal skipper refuses to give up despite being ruled out by his boss last night.
Determined Fabregas is meeting Wenger this morning before having a second scan on the hamstring strain that could rule him out of the clash with Birmingham. An Arsenal insider revealed: "Cesc wants to play so badly. He had a scan which showed only a strain, not a tear. He is having another one on Friday and will have more treatment.
"He is the captain and wants to lead his team out so badly. He respects the manager's views but is desperate to be involved." Fabregas limped out of Wednesday's 1-0 win over Stoke but has set his heart on helping end Arsenal's six-year wait for a major trophy - and is ready to sit on the bench if needed. But Robin van Persie, Laurent Koscielny and Abou Diaby are all expected to be fit after missing the Stoke game.
...... ... Barcas frustration is understandable. Wenger argued recently that taking a 16-year-old Fabregas is no different from Barca taking a 13-year-old Messi from Argentina but Barca point-out they signed Messi before any work had been done on the player Arsenal take Toral after he has received eight years of coaching. .. ....
Kweli ushindi mzuri, masifa yote haya kwa Arsene Wenger!. Mdau huwa hamkawii kumtaka aondoke, lakini ndio vizuri wakati wa furaha full kujiachia na wakati wa huzuni mnahuzinika kweli kweli.
Arsene Wenger maintains there is nothing wrong with Arsenal signing promising teenager Jon Toral from Barcelona. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell described the Gunners' pursuit of the 16-year-old as 'a little immoral', with the youngster set to follow current captain Cesc Fabregas from the Nou Camp to north London. Reports in Spain suggest Arsenal paid around 350,000 Euros (£296,000) for Toral, who was free to sign with any professional club.
Wenger, however, denied there was any issue with Arsenal's policy, the Barclays Premier League club having also signed both Fran Merida, now at Atletico Madrid, and 18-year-old centre-half Ignasi Miquel, who made his first-team debut in the FA Cup tie at Leyton Orient last Sunday, from Spain in the past. 'You forget that this boy is English. He has an English passport, his mother is from England and hopefully he will join us in the summer,' Wenger said.
Immoral: Sandro Rosell (left) is unhappy
with the north London club
'We have players who leave us for other professional clubs in England. 'We have done what just is legal. 'I love Barcelona, I love Catalonia - I have nothing against them, but when a player who is half English and Spanish wants to join us, why should we turn him down if its all legal?
'If we have done something illegal, I will say "sorry, my boy, we cannot do it". 'Plenty of players leave us under exactly the same rule.' Wenger, though, would not be drawn on Rosell's comments. 'I do not want to go further on that front because it is very difficult,' he said. 'If you go in the academy of Barcelona and you look where all the players come from, come back to me and we can talk about it.'