“No Chance of Fabregas leaving Arsenal” - Wenger

With Barcelona increasing speculation that Arsenal’s prized captain will go back to his childhood club, Arsene Wenger has firmly stated that there is “no chance” that Cesc Fabregas will abandon the North London faithful.

The Gunners playmaker has once again been strongly linked with a big-money summer move away from Emirates Stadium - his boyhood club Barcelona the latest side said to be weighing up a formal bid.

However, with Arsenal about to embark on what could well be a defining campaign in the quest for a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, Wenger insists all such speculation is wide of the mark.

“Do you really think we sell now our players one day before the championship starts, players who are basic players of the team? There is no chance,” declared the Frenchman, who will take his side to Everton for the opening match of the Premier League campaign.

“You cannot stop people from having a lot of creative imagination during their sleepless nights, but that does not mean we will do it.”

Wenger himself has resisted the tempatation of some of Europe’s top clubs to remain faithful to Arsenal, which he has transformed since arriving some 13 seasons ago.

“I believe that in life you are committed to clubs with contracts and in no contract is the colour of your blood described,” he said boldly, referring to the lure that a return to Spain would have on Fabregas.

“I am more committed than ever to my club, not only this season, but since I have arrived here.

"We are the beginning of a new season now, and it is important that everybody focuses - me, Fabregas everybody else, just on being successful for the club we love, and the best way we can do that is to do well.”

Despite the sale of Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure to Manchester City, Wenger has only continued to praise the growing strength of his squad.

Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is Arsenal’s sole acquisition, although the return to full fitness of Croatia marksman Eduardo leaves Wenger feeling there is plenty of strength in attack.

Many critics insist that Wenger should have splashed a bit of cash to acquire the services of Felipe Melo, as Arsenal are currently without an effective midfielder that would do the work that Patrick Vieira used to at Highbury.

“We are young and have developed. Why should we not be better in August than we were in March?” said the Arsenal manager, who will be without Walcott tomorrow, but hopes the England forward could be back for the Champions League qualifier against Celtic next week.

“We lost two great players. However, we have bought Vermaelen to replace Kolo and we have Eduardo back, who for me is a great player.

"We have players who develop very well and are young, like [Carlos] Vela, [Nicklas] Bendtner, Walcott, who are all strikers, so I do not feel we are short in these positions.”

Wenger insists his squad can deliver over the course of the demanding, extensive nature of the Premier League.

“The ambition is to finish as high as possible. What is as high as possible is to finish first, it is as simple as that,” he said.

“The competition is of a high level and many aspire to that, so let’s continue to play the game the way we want to play it and I believe we can show that we have made big steps forward.”

“I have all the players in place…” said the Arsenal legend before adding, “If we need to add one or two more, the transfer period is open until August 31.

"Ideally you want not to move any more, but you always have to adjust. If there is a need there, we will do it.”

Wenger continued: “There are still a lot of players who want to come to Arsenal, because they like the way we play and develop them. They feel they get access to top level competition, so I do not think we have a [financial] handicap.

"The market now is a world market, so you can always find good players. There are only a few players who have a price which we cannot reach - maybe 10 in the world, but for the rest, we have access to the market.”

Arsenal probably do need another player or two to compete in the long-run, but all their rumoured transfers have failed to materialize. Wenger has looked into the possibility of signing Bordeaux’s striker Marouane Chamakh, Fulham’s Brede Hangeland, Inter Milan’s Patrick Vieira, and Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo.

Melo recently opted for an unexpected move to Juventus from Fiorentina despite former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva’s insistence that Melo join Arsenal.