De Rossi rules out Arsenal switch

AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi on Saturday ruled out a possible move to English Premier League side Arsenal.

The Londoners were rumoured to be interested in signing the 26-year-old but De Rossi claims he has had no contact from the Gunners and has no intention of leaving his home town club.

“Arsenal? I haven’t heard anything. Roma said I’m untransferable and I want to stay here,” he said.

“If they wanted to sell me everything would change but they’ve always shown faith in me.”

De Rossi is looking forward to an improved showing from his team in the Serie A title race this season after they finished a disappointing sixth in 2008-09.

That followed three successive seasons as runners-up but Roma looked to have lost ground on the top three in the last campaign.

“We have to do very well because a gap has opened up between us and the top three,” he said.

“Right now we’re fighting with Fiorentina, Genoa and Lazio. We have to rediscover a certain mentality and work culture that we lost last year, me more than anyone else.”