Arsenal Transfer News: Sevilla Dismiss Steven Nzonzi Exit Rumours

Steven Nzonzi will still be a Sevilla player at the end of this summer's transfer window, according to club president Jose Castro, who denied there has been any bid for the rumoured Arsenal target. 

Castro made Nzonzi's future clear, per Metro: "We want Steven Nzonzi to come back here, he is our player. There is nothing else to it and there is no offer."

Coach Joaquin Caparros also outlined how the season will start for the World Cup winner: "We told him to come here on August 8 at 9am. He will have to undergo physical tests."

Sevilla's confidence about keeping one of their most important players is potentially bad news for the Gunners, with the north London club said to be keen on the France international.

In fact, the Daily Mail's Steve Stammers has reported contract rebel Aaron Ramsey could even be sold to make way for Nzonzi. Ramsey's deal expires next summer, so the Gunners could cash in on the three-time FA Cup winner, but head coach Unai Emery has already identified him as a key player he wants to keep.

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Both Arsenal and Serie A outfit AS Roma have been described as the most "serious suitors" for defensive midfielder Nzonzi by Spanish source AS (h/t Sport Witness). However, La Liga giants Barcelona have been considering moving for a player whose contract contains a release clause worth £35 million, according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t George Bond of The Sun).

The links to Arsenal make sense since Nzonzi played some of his best football under Emery. They won the UEFA Europa League in 2016, with Nzonzi underpinning a tough and resourceful midfield alongside Grzegorz Krychowiak.

Since then, Nzonzi has refined his game to show off an underrated penchant for neat and efficient passing:

Nzonzi used his steady style to be an effective substitute and squad player during France's victorious FIFA World Cup campaign in Russia this summer:

Winning international football's biggest trophy continued what has been an enviable career trajectory for the 29-year-old:

As much as he's improved each year, Nzonzi is no longer a player Emery needs, not after the 46-year-old has carefully retooled Arsenal's midfield this summer. Emery signed active destroyer Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria, then acquired precocious 19-year-old pass-master Matteo Guendouzi from FC Lorient.

Uruguay international Torreira has already been hailed as an excellent capture:

Meanwhile, Guendouzi turned heads during the Gunners' pre-season tour of Malaysia:

Guendouzi and Torreira will join Granit Xhaka, Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at the heart of Arsenal's engine room. It's difficult to believe there will be a space for another player of Nzonzi's stature and reputation.

Ironically, there was a time when the Gunners would have welcomed him with open arms, likely during the latter years of Arsene Wenger's reign in charge. Those seasons were usually defined by a lack of power and resolve at the base of midfield, qualities Nzonzi still exudes.

Yet today's Arsenal squad is no longer lacking those attributes, with Emery willing to trust Torreira as his enforcer. It would also be a major surprise to see Nzonzi drafted in to replace a player with Ramsey's vision in the final third and instinct for goal.