Central defender lost his place in the club’s back four after a series of long-term injuries of late.
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The representative of out-of-favour Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has rubbished recent speculation linking the Belgium with a move away from the Gunners when the winter transfer window reopens in the new year, according to reports in the Daily Star.
The classy centre back has barely featured for the north London club since the start of the new season due to injury, and with this campaign ending as it does with the World Cup finals in Brazil, a tournament for which Belgium have just qualified for the first time in 16 years, Vermaelen is understandably keen to get as much first-team action as possible between now and next summer.
However, despite the 27-year-old having played just three matches in total in all competitions so far this season, including only a solitary appearance in the Premier League, the Belgium international’s representative has laughed off recent stories linking his client with a move to either Serie A champions Juventus or fellow Italian outfit Napoli in the new year.
“We do not want to take part in this ‘game’,” Alex Kroes told NapoliCalcioLive.
“I want to distance myself from, and deny, these rumours.
“I deny absolutely everything.”
Vermaelen has been at the Emirates since the summer of 2009, when he joined the Gunners from Eredivisie giants Ajax for an initial fee of just 10 million euros, with the central defender currently contracted to the Premier League leaders until June 30 2015.