If Fabregas, Nasri are sold, we can't claim to be a big club - Wenger

[emezico]

Arsene Wenger speaking at the start of the Gunners' Far East pre-season tour, admitted that Arsenal "can no longer be called a big club" if they sell Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

"Imagine the worst situation - we lose Fabregas and Nasri - you cannot convince people you are ambitious after that," he said.

"And even if you lose Nasri, to find the same quality player, you have to spend again the same amount of money. Because you cannot say, you lose the player and you do not replace him.

"I believe for us it is important the message we give out. For example, you talk about Fabregas leaving, Nasri leaving.

If you give that message out, you cannot pretend you are a big club, because a big club first of all holds onto its big players and gives a message out to all the other big clubs that they just cannot come in and take away from you.

"We worked very hard with these players for years to develop them, and now it's a time for us to keep them together."

Wenger further said, Nasri will definitely stay despite interest from Manchester City, Manchester United and Inter Milan.