Wenger confident over duo

Arsene Wenger has insisted in a press conference on Arsenal's pre-season tour to Kuala Lumpur that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri will both stay at the club this summer.

Arsene Wenger and amir Nasri Arsenal
GettyImagesSamir Nasri has been heavily linked to an Emirates exit in recent weeks


A report in The Times claimed on Sunday that Nasri was on the cusp of a £22.2 million switch to Manchester City after Arsenal had authorised the transfer of the France international.

Fabregas was also widely reported to be heading out of Emirates Stadium, with former club Barcelona the Spaniard's destination. However, Wenger arrived in Kuala Lumpur with Nasri amongst his travelling party, and he declared that neither player would be leaving ahead the new season.

"I expect Samir Nasri to stay," Wenger said. "There is always speculation, but he is committed to the club right now.''

Pushed further, he added: ''Will he be at the club next season? I say yes. The second part (of the question) - will he sign a new contract? I hope yes, but I am not the only one to decide.''

Asked about Fabregas, he said: "Cesc loves the club and hopefully we will manage. We know that the story for Barcelona goes on for years now and we have to close that and continue with the season. I never speak on matters that happen behind closed doors. I have given the media enough headlines and I don't want to add any more."

Speaking about Arsenal's first tour to Asia in 12 years, the Frenchman admitted his players were tired from the journey across two continents, but pleased to be there.

He said: "We (Arsenal) know that we have a big fanbase in Asia, and we haven't been here since 1999. Physically we are jet-lagged, but overall this will be a new experience for the team. At this stage of the season, we'll look at getting as physically fit as quickly as possible. We will find the balance between not disturbing our physical preparations and our pre-season.''

The French boss also announced that the club had completed the signing of Lille forward Gervinho.

"Gervinho has just joined up for training today at London Colney,'' he added. "He signed last Thursday, and has just come back from his holidays."

The Ivory Coast international notched 15 goals and 10 assists to help the French side to their first league title in 57 years last term, and joins for a fee believed to be £10.6 million.

Nasri Holding Out for £110k a Week

Samir Nasri could be on his way out of Arsenal after turning down a new £90,000-a-week deal at the club.

The France international is out of contract in 2012 and has sat down with Arsene Wenger to discuss a new deal, but Nasri wants £110,000 a week, the same as club skipper Cesc Fabregas and if the two parties fail to come to an agreement then the 23-year-old could be on his way out of the Emirates.

Wenger is hopeful of reaching an agreement with Nasri and earlier this week he told a French radio station ‘We have a financial disagreement which hasn’t yet been settled. We are still in discussions but we haven’t agreed a deal.”

But despite facing the prospect of losing one of his star turns, Wenger is adamant as to where he won’t be going:

“One thing’s for sure, we’re not selling him to United,” he added.

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Christoper Samba ke Arsenal?

Arsenal Transfer Rumours See Gunners Target Blackburn's Christopher Samba

Anyone who watched Arsenal play last season, particularly down the stretch, knows precisely where their biggest area of need in this year's transfer market lies: the defense. The Gunners back line was downright terrible last season, particularly in the center, where Laurent Koscielny was hurt and the other potential starters couldn't get the job done.

Fortunately, it would appear that manager Arsene Wenger has set his sights on fixing the issues in the middle, and has several prominent targets lined up.

One of those big names is Blackburn standout Christopher Samba. The 28-year-old central defender has been an anchor in the Rovers' defense, and has been on Wenger's radar for quite some time. Now, according to a report from Metro Sport, Samba could well find himself at Emirates next season.

With top target Gary Cahill of Bolton featuring an asking price of £17 million, Samba represents a sizable discount at just £8 million, without a significant drop in production or skill. His size and strength in the center of the defense makes him an excellent defender, and his skills are just what the Gunners need to boost their back line.

On top of that, Wenger has been interested in the big back since January, and Samba recently revealed that he was nearly sent to the North London club during that winter transfer window.

"Everybody knows I am an ambitious player. I'm not trying to move away but of course I would look if it is the right thing for me," he said.

"I think a move to Arsenal was very close in January, but that is life."

But, as with any potential transfer, this isn't quite a done deal yet. Wenger still has interest in Cahill and others in the center, and could decide that even with a higher price tag, the English back is more valuable than Samba, or he could go in a completely different direction (this is Arsene Wenger we're talking about, after all). There's also the chance that Blackburn opts to keep their talented defenseman, and forces the Gunners to seek the services of someone new.

In the end, though, this move seems to make sense for all parties. Samba would be a great fit for the Gunners, filling a significant need on their back line, while Rovers would get a good sized chunk of change for their big defenseman. Look for Wenger to take the value player here, and score himself a marked upgrade on his back line.