Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has turned down Liverpool's request to take Theo Walcott on loan.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who has been put under growing pressure by a series of disappointing results and a highly publicised fall-out with the club's owners, wanted to bring the striker to Anfield for the remainder of the season.
However, Wenger is unwilling to let the England international leave the Emirates Stadium, even on a temporary basis.
The Frenchman said that he would not be releasing any players on loan during the transfer window because Arsenal were "very short [of players]".
"We have 17 players at the moment, and you could see with the players who were on the bench at Tottenham that they should not have been on the bench there," he said.
Many Premier League managers thought that Arsenal's exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Tottenham would a prompt an exodus of Arsenal's promising youngsters on loan deals, since Wenger primarily used the competition to blood his less experienced players.
As well as Benitez's interest, Sven-Goran Eriksson was keen to bring Walcott to Manchester City, while Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was also reportedly monitoring the forward's situation.
And outside of the Premier League, Championship club Stoke City were poised to launch an ambitious bid to secure Walcott's services.
Wenger paid a world record fee for a 16-year-old in the 2006 January transfer window when he signed Walcott - a deal that could rise to £12 million.
However, Walcott has so far failed to shine for Arsenal, making just 25 first-team starts over the past two years.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, who has been put under growing pressure by a series of disappointing results and a highly publicised fall-out with the club's owners, wanted to bring the striker to Anfield for the remainder of the season.
However, Wenger is unwilling to let the England international leave the Emirates Stadium, even on a temporary basis.
The Frenchman said that he would not be releasing any players on loan during the transfer window because Arsenal were "very short [of players]".
"We have 17 players at the moment, and you could see with the players who were on the bench at Tottenham that they should not have been on the bench there," he said.
Many Premier League managers thought that Arsenal's exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Tottenham would a prompt an exodus of Arsenal's promising youngsters on loan deals, since Wenger primarily used the competition to blood his less experienced players.
As well as Benitez's interest, Sven-Goran Eriksson was keen to bring Walcott to Manchester City, while Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was also reportedly monitoring the forward's situation.
And outside of the Premier League, Championship club Stoke City were poised to launch an ambitious bid to secure Walcott's services.
Wenger paid a world record fee for a 16-year-old in the 2006 January transfer window when he signed Walcott - a deal that could rise to £12 million.
However, Walcott has so far failed to shine for Arsenal, making just 25 first-team starts over the past two years.
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