Wenger - I'll fight very hard to keep Cesc

Arsène Wenger will do everything he can to ensure Cesc Fabregas is an Arsenal player next season.

The World Cup winner was strongly linked with a move back to his former club Barcelona last summer and rumours are already circulating that he will leave Emirates Stadium in the forthcoming transfer window.

Wenger was no doubt expecting to be quizzed on Fabregas when he sat down to face the press on Thursday and he reiterated his position as firmly as ever.

"That's a question I've heard already a few times in a press conference and I expect him to be here [next season]," said the manager.

"I will fight very hard to keep him here. You have always to fight when you have a player of that quality, you must always fight to keep your players, of course."

It was put to Wenger that Fabregas would want to leave north London after a season that promised much delivered so little.

"What guarantees you that if you go somewhere else you will win trophies?" responded the Frenchman.

"The biggest pride for a captain is to be committed to his club and deliver trophies with his team. A player who changes his club every time he is frustrated or when he doesn’t win a trophy, goes nowhere. I believe the quality of sports life is to be committed to your club and not just to move out when it does not go as well as you expected.

"Cesc Fabregas played 22 games this season out of 38 and we expect him to play between 30 and 38. That will make a huge difference to our efficiency [next season] as well."

Fabregas is not the only Arsenal player to be linked with a move with speculation also mounting overAndrey Arshavin's future. As far as Wenger is concerned, the Russian is going nowhere.

"Yes, I expect him to be at Arsenal next season," he said.