by cikgu_satria » Mon Jul 11, 2011 10:53 pm
Arsenal have completed the signing of Gervinho from Lille with manager Arsene Wenger claiming that both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas will be staying at The Emirates next season.
Wenger made the assertion during a press conference in Malaysia at the start of the Gunners' pre-season tour.
Wenger said that Nasri was "very happy" at Arsenal and would be staying, as would the club's talismanic skipper Fabregas, despite the player's reported desire to move to Barcelona.
"I expect Samir Nasri to stay," Wenger said. "There is always speculation, but he is committed to the club right now.''
He added that the question of whether Nasri, who is in the final year of his contract, would sign a new deal was a separate matter.
Fabregas has once again been the subject of frenzied speculation linking him with a return to Spain.
"We know that this story for Barcelona has gone on for years now, we have to close that and focus on the season, hopefully with Cesc Fábregas," Wenger added.
"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."
Ivory Coast playmaker Gervinho trained with his new team-mates on Thursday after the clubs agreed a fee earlier in the month, though the player will not join up with the squad in Asia.
Gervinho, whose full name is Gervais Yao Kouassi, moved to Belgium League side Beveren when he was 17 before heading to France where he played for Le Mans before joining Lille two years ago.
It is reported that Gervinho, who scored 28 goals in 67 games for Lille over the last two seasons and generally operated on the right of a front three for last season's surprise French double winners, had cost £12 million.
He has represented his country at both the Olympics and last year's World Cup.
Fabregas is not in the 23-strong squad as he recovers from a hamstring injury nor are three other players linked with a move away from London, keeper Manuel Almunia, Emmanuel Eboue and striker Nicklas Bendtner.
Teenage Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi is included after impressing in pre-season training. He is joined in the squad by fellow teenagers Emmanuel Frimpong and defender Carl Jenkinson who signed from Charlton in the summer.
Arsenal will play a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and then fly to China to play Hangzhou Greentown on Saturday - follow live text commentary on this website and the Eurosport mobile app of both games.
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Yessss...Arsenal akan kuat season depan...AWAS MAN UTD!!!!