Last Updated: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:20
Arsenal will step up their interest in Atletico Madrid's Adrian Lopez after being told to forget about making a move for David Villa.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had made Villa his top target of the January window and was hoping to sign the 31-year-old either on loan for the rest of the season or on a permanent basis.
However Barca boss Tito Vilanova says the striker is in his plans now he has returned from a broken leg and is staying at the Nou Camp.
"David is not going to leave. We are very happy with him," he revealed.
"We know how important he is, like last year when we missed him a lot in the second half of the season. I'm convinced he will help us a lot over the remainder of the season."
The news comes as a blow to Wenger, who will now turn his attentions to Lopez as he looks to bolster his attack.
The 25-year-old has a contract with Atletico that runs until 2015 but the Gunners feel they will be able to prize him away for a fee in the region £12million.
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