Wenger on Vieira: 'There's nothing happening at all'

- Patrick Vieira -

Arsène Wenger remains convinced Patrick Vieira is staying with Arsenal.

The transfer saga rumbles on in the media but, for the Highbury boss, no news is good news.

"There are no developments," he said at a press conference on Friday afternoon. "Patrick is still here despite all the newspapers. He will be here next week and the week after and the week after.

"We always keep our transfer negotiations, if they exist, as secret as possible. But in this case there is nothing happening at all."

In fact Vieira, who joined the Club just after Wenger in late 1996, is still a central plank of the manager's plans.

"He has always been committed to the Club," said Wenger. "He has been a big part of this team and it takes 10 years to build this Club to the level we want to be. I want him to go the end of the vision I have for this team and this Club."

The manager also re-iterated that monetary issues would not force the Club to sell one of its prize assets.

"[We would not sell Patrick] for financial reasons - never," said Wenger. "We are not swimming in money but we are not in a position where we have to sell because we need the money. We have a balanced budget and the board is strong enough to say 'we don't want to sell'."

In fact the same newspapers today were suggesting Arsenal could be buying - not selling - with West Ham midfielder Michael Carrick the intended target.

"We have nothing to say about that," commented Wenger. "But he has always been a player I loved and we can sign Michael even if Patrick stays. But nothing has been done on that."