Mauro Zarate insists he will never leave Lazio.

Arsenal and Chelsea have been heavily linked with the Argentine forward, who has previous experience of the Premier League from a loan spell at Birmingham City.

And it is easy to see why the London duo would be interested in the 22-year-old, who has been in superb form since moving to the Italian capital in 2008.

However, there seems little chance of a return to England anytime soon, as when he was asked of a potential exit from Lazio, Zarate said: “Me, leave? Never!”

Despite this stance, the South American could yet change his mind if his current club, who are just four points clear of the danger zone at the moment, lose their Serie A status.

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