TNT Sports
Gunners want Kanu to stay
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Published 09/01/2004 at 17:38 GMT
Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu is to seek permission from Nigeria to join their African Nations Cup squad late so that he can play a Premiership match for the English club. Under FIFA rules, Nigeria can insist that the 27-year-old joins them next Thursday a
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But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hoping Kanu can persuade Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu to let him play for the north Londoners against Aston Villa on January 18.
The Nations Cup starts in Tunisia on January 24.
Arsenal strikers Dennis Bergkamp and Sylvain Wiltord are both injured and Wenger wants to keep Kanu for as long as possible before he misses up to four weeks of English football while on international duty.
"Kanu will sort out his own situation next week by talking to the Nigerian national coach," Wenger said on Friday.
"I want him to go to the African Nations Cup, because I respect that players want to play for their country, but I want him to go as late as possible.
"I believe it is also ideal for Nigeria to allow him to play for Arsenal against Aston Villa because otherwise he would just be sitting in a pre-tournament camp and not playing competitively.
"However, if there is no agreement with Nigeria, then we will have to respect the rules and release him before the Aston Villa game.
"It is annoying for me that he will miss Arsenal games, but I cannot complain because I knew when I signed him that he would go away for games in Africa."
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