Roberto Martinez insists Wigan Athletic Football Club are under no pressure to sell Lee Cattermole.

Sunderland have already had two bids rejected for the midfield player, whilst speculation last week has suggested Arsenal and Liverpool are considering entering the race.

However, Roberto Martinez, the Latics manager, insists he and the club have no financial pressure to sell Cattermole, who he sees as a key player at the DW Stadium.

"We are in a very strong position in that we don't have to sell," Martinez told the Evening Post."I'm delighted we don't have to lose any player to balance the books.

"You are always going to get interest in players who have played extremely well last season - that is absolutely normal. But we want to build a team around certain players who will be vital to us.

"Lee Cattermole is a perfectionist and a winner, and I am not surprised at all that he has such an interest in his services. We don't have to keep saying we want to keep him here.

“But what we have to do is keep him excited and keep him motivated. He is still a very young man but he is a special player and it is a joy to watch him play football."