Almunia rubbishes reports of mass exodus at Arsenal

Manuel Almunia has insisted Arsenal's galaxy of foreign stars are not concerned with speculation linking players with moves away from the club. Emmaneul Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy have all attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe after another season of disappointment for Arsenal. And Almunia claimed Arsenal's players have made light of the situation. 'We are not affected, honestly,' Almunia told Don Ballon. 'Sometimes it is a good thing for us because we make jokes about it when it comes out in the press. 'We say: did you see that you have signed with Barcelona, once again? And we have a laugh because it is almost always untrue. 'It is talking for talking. Many things are said to sell newspapers, but as far as we are concerned we remain pretty much relaxed.' The Spanish stopper also defended manager Arsene Wenger following recent criticism and highlighted the Frenchman's importance to the future prosperity of the club. 'With Wenger I learnt how to live football in a much more relaxing way than I was used to in Spain, where the pressure from the media and some fans is intense,' said Almunia. 'Working alongside him makes you feel incredibly relaxed and in peace. We train hard day in, day out, but he tells us that we will only feel the pressure at the end of the week, during the game. 'We call him the boss. He is the visible face of this club, of Arsenal's project and he is very important for the club. 'Things do not work this way in Spain but for us Arsene Wenger is in charge of sporting topics.'

Source: Daily_Mail