Arteta is cool on sell-to-buy plan

MIKEL Arteta insists Arsenal cannot sell their prized assets to raise funds for new recruits.

The Gunners have been linked to a number of players and broke their transfer record to land Nicolas Pepe last summer in a deal that was structured so that all £72million was not paid in a lump sum.

Arteta said: “We don’t know how the market is going to be.

“Obviously we are putting different plans together to see what we are going to be able to do. At the moment the uncertainty is still big. But if you ask me, we cannot be a team that has to sell his best player to try to bring in and improve our squad.”

BRENDAN Rodgers feels Leicester City need to “reset mentally” to stay in charge of their Champions League destiny.

The Foxes remain third in the Premier League but are fading fast, their recent slump continuing with a 2-1 loss at Everton on Wednesday.

Rodgers’ side have claimed just two points from their three games since competition resumed.

They were fortunate fourthplaced Chelsea failed to take advantage of their latest slip-up, also losing on Wednesday, but in-form Manchester United and Wolves are now just three points behind with six to play.

Rodgers (right) said:

“I know we have a very young group, a young squad that is developing, but if you want to consistently compete at the very top end of this table, it is a mindset.

“I think we have shown over the course of the season we have got the talent but there is no doubt that we have to have a reset mentally if we are going to go and achieve what we want to achieve. “Thankfully, we are still in a fantastic position but we have got to try to sustain that. At this end of the season, it’s really about coping with that and that is something I need to help them do.

“We have been terrific for a lot of the season. Our level has been high and somehow we need to work our way back to that.” • EVERTON have signed France Under-19 left-back Niels Nkounkou on a free transfer from Marseille.