Wenger cool on Zokora

Monday 26 December, 2005

Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has dismissed reports linking the North London club with Saint-Etienne midfielder Didier Zokora.

The Ivory Coast international has been attracting the attention of Arsenal and Manchester United, according to his agent.

But Wenger said: "I have known Zokora for a long time because he comes from the same [Ivory Coast] school of football as Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué, but we are not after him."

Despite Arsenal’s lack of power in midfield, Wenger is in no hurry to reinforce his squad, adding: "I won't necessarily go into the transfer market in January.

"It would be good to find one player - and if we find one, we will buy - but not just for the sake of it."

Arsenal have been criticised for selling, and then failing to replace, their former captain Patrick Vieira.

Zokora, 25, was regarded as a potential replacement, with Roma’s Olivier Dacourt another possible target for Wenger.