Gokhan Inler

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he has put and end to his pursuit of Udinese midfielder Gokhan Inler and will target a player with “special class” instead.

Asked if he was interested in signing the talented 24-year-old midfielder as a replacement for Mathieu Flamini, who joined AC Milan in the summer, Wenger said: “Yes, in the summer. But not any more.”

The Arsenal boss’ comments has lead to much speculation in the UK press that he was alluding to a £20 million move for Russian star Andrei Arshavin.

Arshavin has already represented Zenit St Petersburg in this season’s Champions League and Wenger is reported to be an admirer of the want-away 27-year-old.

The arrival of the Russian forward would provide a much needed morale boost to Wenger’s young squad following the long-term loss of injured skipper Cesc Fabregas.