Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he will not be making a move for want-away West Ham United ace Dimitri Payet.
The Frenchman informed boss Slaven Bilic last week that he no longer wishes to play for the Hammers, and in turn they are expected to sell him this month.
It appears as though Marseille is the most likely destination for the 29-year-old, as noted by Sky Sports, with Wenger ruling out Arsenal as being an option for him.
“I don’t need Payet because we have so many creative players,’ he said during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, as reported by The Daily Mail.
“I rate Payet, of course. We have many players offensively that can play in this position. You’re interested in the quality of the player, but there has to be a need too.”
Wenger went on to add that he didn’t expect any business in January as he’s happy with the strength and depth of his current squad, leaving Arsenal fans undoubtedly disappointed as there is always seemingly a need to bring in new players.
Nevertheless, one man who won’t be moving on as soon as expected is Carl Jenkinson, as The Guardian report that his proposed £7m move to Crystal Palace has fallen through.
A failure to reach personal terms is the reason behind the disappointing update, with the 24-year-old unable to find an agreement on his wages as he earns around £40,000-a-week currently with a contract that runs until 2018.
Watford and West Bromwich Albion are also noted as interested parties, but it’s reported that Palace will now assess their options and potentially return to speak with Jenkinson next week.
In addition, the report goes on to quote Wenger confirming that the club has signed Per Mertesacker to a contract extension as they have exercised a clause in his deal to keep him on for another year.
While the German defender is currently closing in on a return to full fitness, he’ll have a job on his hands to displace Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi as the pair have firmly established themselves as Arsenal’s top-choice pairing but his experience and leadership will certainly prove invaluable.