Roberto Martinez denies Charles N'Zogbia will be sold

Ian Parkes

WIGAN // Roberto Martinez, the Wigan Athletic manager, has denied that Charles N'Zogbia is close to a move to Liverpool.

Speculation in the British media suggested the two clubs had begun talks over a possible £15 million (Dh88m) deal for the winger, with Liverpool apparently only willing to pay half that figure.

Martinez, though, claimed such gossip was "a lie", again insisting Wigan are in a position where they do not have to sell prior to the closure of the transfer window next Monday.

With Maynor Figueroa, the left-back, also being linked with a switch to Sunderland and Aston Villa, tonight's visitors to the DW Stadium, a dismissive Martinez said: "It's a compliment [to a player] when you've a team chasing you that would love to have you in their squad.

"It's speculation, but it's positive. When you go into a game on the back of a defeat and you read someone wants you, it's a great lift. But to get such a compliment, it can only help you as a player and the football club as a whole.

"But we're not here to try to find business, we don't need to sell players to balance our books, and that's always our position."

Asked if he was confident of keeping his squad together this week, Martinez replied: "We're not talking to any clubs, so it's not as if there are negotiations that you hope break down. All our concentration is on what is a huge game for us [tonight], with the players in the same frame of mind.

"The players mentioned have been performing really well for the last season and a half, but they've still a long way to go.

"When they do they will get their rewards, both individually and us as a football club."

Martinez confirmed Pascal Feindouno, the 29-year-old Guinea forward, is on trial after being released by Qatari club Al Saad.

* Press Association