Arsenal dealt a big blow in pursuit of Sevilla ace Steven N'Zonzi

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Sevilla, Jan 2: Newly appointed Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella has insisted that star midfielder Steven N'Zonzi, who is on the verge of securing a transfer after falling out with the club's former manager, can have a future with him.

The French midfielder last played in their last Champions league against Liverpool in November where he was called off at halftime as his side were 3-0 down. The Spanish side eventually made a comeback with a stunning 3-3 draw to salvage a point.

However, reports later emerged that N'Zonzi had a heated fight with former manager Berizzo during the break and he left the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium annoyed. Since the incident, the French midfielder had been training on his own away from the team and till now has not been included in any matchday squad.

Thus, the French midfielder has been reportedly keen for a move during the winter window and clubs like Juventus, Arsenal, Everton and West Ham United all allegedly enquired about the player.

It was believed that North London side Arsenal were the front-runner for the 30-year-old defensive midfielder and the player also recently made a visit to London which further speculated the transfer. It was also believed that the French agreed to terms with the club.

But things could now change for Nzonzi as Sevilla recently sacked their manager Berizzo with whom Nzonzi had a fallout and just after the announcement of former Milan manager Montella, he pledged that he will hold talks with the player to solve the conflict and convince him to stay at the club.

"N'Zonzi is a great player for me, so one of my goals is to talk to him and see what his ambition is," Montella told reporters. "For me, he is a very important player of Sevilla."

The 28-year-old also was earlier heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish club last summer with Juventus, Arsenal and Leicester interested. He currently has a contract until 2020 and with a new manager incoming and backing him to stay, it will be interesting to see how the big midfielder reacts.