Arsene Wenger: 'Nobody is too good for us, and Steven Gerrard knows that'... Gunners boss hits back after Liverpool skipper admits he warned Luis Suarez off Arsenal

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Arsene Wenger has hit back at Steven Gerrard after the Liverpool skipper revealed he told Luis Suarez to snub a move to Arsenal.

The Gunners tried to sign Suarez last summer and Gerrard, who is on tour in the USA with Liverpool, said he advised the Uruguay striker not to join Arsenal because he was ‘too good’ for them.

But Wenger insisted: ‘You’re never too good for Arsenal and Steven Gerrard knows that but I can understand completely that he asked him to stay because he wanted him [Suarez] to play with him and have a chance to win the Premier League. But it didn’t happen, and anyway, Suarez left.’

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Arsene Wenger say no player is too good for Arsenal

Defended: Wenger has hit back at Steven Gerrard's claims that Luis Suarez is too good for Arsenal

Close relationship: Suarez and Gerrard share a close friendship due to their time together at Liverpool

Meanwhile, Barcelona look to be in pole position to land Thomas Vermaelen; they will make a £10million offer for the Belgium central defender next week.

Manchester United are also interested in signing Vermaelen, who is attracting other European clubs, but Sportsmail understands Arsenal prefer to sell their captain abroad.

Vermaelen knows his playing time will be limited next season with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker established as Wenger’s first- choice central defensive pairing and the manager said: ‘If he goes we have to replace him because he’s an important player in our squad. I expect him to stay but he, of course, did not play enough games last year. For me he’s a very important player but I couldn’t guarantee him the games he wanted last year.’

Wenger, who says he also wants to kept Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell despite interest from AC Milan, has backed Alexis Sanchez to emerge from Lionel Messi’s shadow to become Arsenal’s main man.

The £30million signing from Barcelona is set to make his debut in the Emirates Cup this weekend and, in comparing Sanchez to his former Nou Camp team-mate Neymar, Wenger says the Chilean can become a global star in his own right. 

Barca bound? Wenger admitted Thomas Vermaelen could leave this summer, with the La Liga side interested

Quality: Wenger hopes Alexis Sanchez can give Arsenal an extra dimension this season

‘He’s a good finisher who made a great impression in Italy (with Udinese), I saw him there and he was really outstanding. And then at Barcelona it was a bit more difficult,’ said Wenger.

‘But it’s like you could see with Neymar at Barcelona, because there you have Messi. You see Neymar with Brazil and Neymar with Barcelona and it’s not the same.

‘I like the fact he can play left, right, up front and that’s why I went for him. But I took him because he is a player who has the qualities of Walcott, he goes behind the defenders off the ball.

‘And with the quality of his runs he can be very important for us. Will he give us an extra dimension? Yes, I think so, and I hope I’m right.’ 

Dream move: Suarez sealed a move to Barcelona earlier this month after Liverpool decided to cash in

David Ospina will miss the Emirates Cup this weekend with a thigh injury but Calum Chambers is set to make his debut. He is one of seven high-profile exits from Southampton this summerand Wenger reckons the Saints would be a major European force had they not sold their top talent.

‘I respect first of all the quality of work they have done because you look at Southampton and you think the team they had last year, plus Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, plus Gareth Bale who came out from there. They could have won the European Cup had they managed to keep everybody together.

‘But unfortunately the modern game has changed and the smaller clubs with less potential are not in a position any more to keep their players.’