Patrick Vieira has closed the door on a return to English football after the midfielder made it clear he has no intentions of leaving Inter Milan.
The veteran midfielder was tipped to leave the San Siro after the arrival of Thiago Motta and a series of injury problems over the last two years.
He had been linked with a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and former club Arsenal among the clubs reportedly interested in signing him.
However, Vieira plans to remain at Inter after holding talks with coach José Mourinho ahead of the new season.
He told French newspaper L'Équipe: "You never know what can happen, but I have made my decision. I will stay at Inter.
"The end of last season was difficult for me as the coach didn't trust me anymore. But his words have changed.
"I have played a lot during friendlies, much more than I expected. However, I have received no guaranties.
"Tottenham showed interest in me joining them. Harry Redknapp, who I respect a lot, proposed me a challenge that could have been exciting on a sporting level.
"But it would have been very difficult on a human level. For one or two seasons with Spurs I could not see me wasting nine years spent at Arsenal.
"Frankly, there has been nothing concrete with Arsenal. With Arsène Wenger sometimes we have phone calls, but that's all."
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
The veteran midfielder was tipped to leave the San Siro after the arrival of Thiago Motta and a series of injury problems over the last two years.
He had been linked with a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and former club Arsenal among the clubs reportedly interested in signing him.
However, Vieira plans to remain at Inter after holding talks with coach José Mourinho ahead of the new season.
He told French newspaper L'Équipe: "You never know what can happen, but I have made my decision. I will stay at Inter.
"The end of last season was difficult for me as the coach didn't trust me anymore. But his words have changed.
"I have played a lot during friendlies, much more than I expected. However, I have received no guaranties.
"Tottenham showed interest in me joining them. Harry Redknapp, who I respect a lot, proposed me a challenge that could have been exciting on a sporting level.
"But it would have been very difficult on a human level. For one or two seasons with Spurs I could not see me wasting nine years spent at Arsenal.
"Frankly, there has been nothing concrete with Arsenal. With Arsène Wenger sometimes we have phone calls, but that's all."
Please subscribe to our RSS feed to receive more updates. You can also subscribe by Email and enjoy our latest posts sent directly to your inbox.
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
