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Arsenal will not sell Vela, says agent

Jim van Wijk,Pa
Thursday 23 June 2011 14:23 BST
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Arsenal will not sell Carlos Vela this summer, the Mexico international's agent has claimed.

The 22-year-old was loaned out to West Brom for the second half of last season, but failed to make a major impact, scoring just twice in eight Barclays Premier League appearances.

The pacy Mexican was expected to be one of several players allowed to leave as Arsene Wenger revamped his squad following another campaign which promised so much but failed to deliver.

However, Vela's agent Eduardo Hernandez maintains Vela is still very much part of Wenger's plans. He told ESPN Radioformula in Mexico: "I have had eight conversations with Arsenal, the most recent was last Friday, and Carlos is an Arsenal player, he will stay at Arsenal and is not for sale.

"The process with Carlos is a little bit slow.

"Arsene Wenger is an extremely demanding coach, he sent him on loan for six months to West Brom not with the results he wanted, but, nevertheless, everything is going very well."

Wenger may so far have added only promising young defender Carl Jenkinson from Charlton, but Arsenal are determined to do more business before the summer ends.

Deals for Blackburn defender Christopher Samba and Ivory Coast forward Gervinho are understood to be close to completion, while the arrival of Southampton starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to be confirmed at the start of July ahead of Arsenal's Far East tour. Everton's £15million-rated centre-half Phil Jagielka is another reported target.

Despite the claims of Vela's agent, there are set to be departures.

Full-back Gael Clichy, the last surviving member of Wenger's Invincibles squad from 2003/2004, is coming towards the final year of his contract, and is expected to leave, with both Liverpool and Roma offering a fresh start, while Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner is also likely to head for the Emirates Stadium exit door.

Speculation continues over whether France midfielder Samir Nasri will commit to a new deal or be sold, while the future of captain Cesc Fabregas once again is uncertain under renewed interest from boyhood club Barcelona - but not at the £30million offer they made last summer.

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