Arsene Wenger has said it is time to stop selling Arsenal players to Manchester City.
The Arsenal manager has let Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri join City in the past four years, prompting jibes that the north London side are City’s feeder club.
Robin van Persie is the latest Arsenal player to attract interest from City’s owners but Wenger says enough is enough.
‘They have enough players there now,’ he said. ‘Am I flattered? More worried. But it’s a little bit of a normal process.
‘Van Persie and Manchester City? The question cannot be asked because you cannot contact anybody who’s under contract.’
But Wenger said he would take no extra pleasure from watching Arsenal beat City at the Emirates on Sunday, a victory the Frenchman conceded would make it ‘very, very difficult’ for City to win the Barclays Premier League title.
The Arsenal boss said City’s relative lack of experience of winning league titles, compared with their rivals Manchester United, has cost them this season.
Wenger said: ‘I believe this year the title at Man Utd, if they make it, is really down to experience.
The Arsenal manager also admitted for the first time that Marouane Chamakh could leave the club in the summer.
The striker was photographed smoking a shisha pipe with Queens Park Rangers midfielder Adel Taraabt in the week.
Wenger said: ‘At the moment it’s too early to answer (whether he will stay on). We want him to focus completely, without smoking, until the end of the season.’
By Laura Williamson
