Henry the latest Barcelona target

Arsenal, still smarting after losing Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars in a £31m double swoop by Barcelona, were yesterday quick to dispel suggestions that the prolific striker Thierry Henry might follow in their footsteps.

Arsenal, still smarting after losing Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars in a £31m double swoop by Barcelona, were yesterday quick to dispel suggestions that the prolific striker Thierry Henry might follow in their footsteps.

Catalan newspapers have reported that Barça are prepared to pay £20m for the French striker, who scored 26 goals for the club last season, and added three more for France at Euro 2000. But an Arsenal spokesman said: "Thierry's very happy here and Arsÿne Wenger has said that no one is for sale."

Not only that, but Wenger is desperate to sign a striker himself before the Champions' League deadline of 1 September. He has given the French club Bordeaux until the weekend to reduce the fee they are demanding for Sylvain Wiltord, after which he will look elsewhere.

The Highbury club have been accused of "kidnapping" the 19-year-old French midfielder Guy Demel from Nîmes.

Demel, described by the Gunners manager as "the Patrick Vieira of 2005", was recruited from the French Second Division side on a free transfer during the summer.

In the same way that they signed Nicolas Anelka from Paris St-Germain, Arsenal swooped on Demel as he was preparing to sign his first professional contract with Nîmes. The Gunners took advantage of rules in France that allows trainees to skip the obligatory first contract with their club of origin if they move abroad. Such a swoop can be a financial disaster for the club that found and nurtured the trainee - Arsenal sold Anelka for £23m three years after signing him from PSG for nothing and the French club have just splashed out £22m to buy him back from Real Madrid.

Pierre Mosca, the Nîmes director of football, said: "It's not a transfer, it's a kidnapping. I find it revolting that so-called big clubs use such methods to attract young talent."

Mosca also poured scorn on Demel's quality, saying he was not as good as Jeremie Aliadiÿre, the 17-year-old French striker who Wenger has also signed.

Mosca said: "I'll eat a horse if Demel plays in the first team or in the Champions' League in the next two years. Last season he played twice in the second division. He's not Anelka - or Aliadiÿre."