Wenger pulls plug on Mata move

Juan Mata
12 April 2012

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that attempts to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata have failed.

Mata has been a target for Arsenal for much of the summer but Wenger says the Spain international will not be moving to the Emirates Stadium.

"We will not do (a deal for) Juan Mata. I don't have to give a reason," said Wenger.

The Frenchman, who looks set to lose Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri over the next few days, also distanced himself from a move for Brazilian playmaker Jadson, who is valued at around £10million by his club Shakhtar Donetsk.

"We are nowhere near on Jadson. We are not talking to Shakhtar about him," Wenger added.

The position Arsenal fans would like to see strengthened most urgently is central defence, which has been the team's Achilles heel in recent seasons.

Christopher Samba, Scott Dann, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka have been linked with the Gunners throughout the transfer window, yet there have been no new arrivals in the position. Wenger insists finding the right players is problematic.

"We have specialised people who work everywhere. Every club looks for centre-backs in the whole world," he said. "People with unlimited resources look for a centre-back. We are not in a supermarket where you go to a shelf and you ask 'where are the centre-backs or the strikers?'

"We are today in an international market where all over the world people look for the same players. Massive clubs have scouts all over the world and if they don't find anyone, in the end they come to us. You don't need to be a genius to understand that.

"We will have a new centre-back by the end of the transfer window because Thomas Vermaelen only played five games last year. To buy just for the sake of buying - you won't find me there. If I'm convinced the player has the quality, I will always do it if he's better than the players we have."

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