Arsenal and Liverpool told to forget Mamadou Sahko

Arsene Wenger was thought to have earmarked PSG defender to replace Thomas Vermaelen
BY Bill Mann LAST UPDATED AT 07:25 ON Wed 27 Mar 2013

NON! That's the emphatic response from Paris Saint-Germain to suggestions that defender Mamadou Sahko could be primed for a summer move to the Premier League.

In recent months the 23-year-old has been linked to both Arsenal and Liverpool after struggling to hold down a place in the PSG starting XI. The presence at PSG of Alex and Thiago Silva has hindered Sahko's development but the Paris club's assistant manager Claude Makelele is adamant the strapping defender will stay where he is even if he feels undervalued right now.

"Mamadou is the future of the club," Makelele told Le Parisien. He was then asked if there was any truth in the rumours suggesting Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had Sahko earmarked as the man to replace Thomas Vermaelen in the Gunners' defence.

"It is impossible he could leave," blasted Makelele. "Of course he needs to hear that he is important but sometimes he has to remain quiet. Mamadou has now reached a level where he cannot act as a child and ask for affection."

The Metro reports that former Arsenal striker Carlos Vela doesn't fancy the idea of returning to the Emirates at the end of the season even though he has a buy-back option in his Real Sociedad contract.

The Mexico marksman left the Gunners last summer after struggling to break into the Arsenal team and has gone on to establish himself as a star striker for the Spanish outfit, scoring 12 times in 26 matches.

Asked if he dreamed of slipping on the red and white shirt in the future, the 24-year-old replied: "I am very happy here [at Sociedad] and would like to stay here... Arsenal are a big team who gave me the opportunity to play in Europe. I will always remember that, but I didn't have the opportunities that I felt I deserved."

Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta has used an interview with Italian broadcaster Italia 2 to pooh-pooh the idea that he will be making a play for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez any time soon. Nor, he claims, is he after Barcelona ace Alexis Sanchez and Paris Saint-Germain's beanpole striker Zlatan Ibrahimovi. "I am happy with our players and I cherish them," Marotta declared. “At this time of the season, we don't think about the [transfer] market."

According to Caughtoffside.com, Liverpool gaffer Brendan Rodgers has drawn up his summer shopping list and there are three names featuring prominently. First up is Manchester City hitman Scott Sinclair, who's had a miserable time of it at the Etihad Stadium following his £6.2m move to the club last August. Sinclair thrived at the Swans when Rodgers was boss and Caughtoffside predicts they will soon be reunited at Anfield.

Another frontman Rodgers is keen on is Chelsea youngster Kevin de Bruyne, the 21-year-old Belgian international who is doing well on loan at Werder Bremen. Finally the Reds remain hopeful that they'll be able to tempt Swansea City centre-back Ashley Williams to leave the Liberty stadium in the summer.