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Martinez rules out Figueroa move
11:45, Dec 14 2009
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez insists he is not under any pressure to sell.
Following Maynor Figueroa's astounding goal at Stoke on Saturday, Martinez had to play down talk the Honduran might be on his way out of the DW Stadium and now long-serving utility man Paul Scharner has been linked with Fulham.
"We are not in a position where we have to sell," said Martinez, who is supposedly lining up Swansea's Leon Britton as a potential replacement for Scharner. "I am looking to bring players in during January and I am sure we will do that but the focus just now is getting the best from players we already have."
He added: "You won't hear me rejecting speculation about anyone coming to Wigan because we are having to look in a lot of leagues to find the right characters.
"For us, it is not just about signing good players, it is about making sure the personalities are perfect too.
"But I am certainly not looking to lose any players in January."
Whether Wigan would actually resist a big-money offer is open to debate.
Figueroa is clearly a man in demand, not least at Sunderland, where Steve Bruce is keen to be reunited with a player he signed from Olimpia for a nominal fee at the start of 2008.
However, Martinez feels a move now would be a mistake for the 26-year-old, and a potential distraction just six months before the World Cup begins in South Africa.
"Maynor is an exceptional footballer," said Martinez. "I would be very surprised if teams didn't want him because he is ready for big things."
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