By Mark Heys
November 23 2006

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has ruled out selling record signing Nicolas Anelka after morning reports speculated that a return to France was on the cards for the 27-year old front man. Olympique Lyonaisse where rumoured to be interested in taking the £8 million forward back to his homeland but Allardyce has insisted that Anelka will remain at the Reebok Stadium.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was quoted as saying that he would like the French club to sign Anelka in January and Allardyce says that Aulas is out of order if the comments prove to have some substance.

"If the comments made by the Lyon president are true, then he is out of order, He shouldn't be saying things like that. We have had no dialogue with Lyon or any other club for that matter. Nicolas is a quality a player and he is going nowhere."

"It is the silly season and there is plenty of speculation out there linking us with players coming in and players leaving. I try to ignore it, but when you are faced with something as serious as this you have to comment.

"It does concern me that speculation can unsettle my players, but we have to get on with it and make sure that we are focussed on the job in hand. Nicolas hasn't scored in the Premiership this season. It would be fantastic if he could score against his former Club on Saturday especially if it is the winning goal. Scoring against Arsenal would reignite his season."

One person linked with a move into the Reebok today was Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka but Allardyce already has Stelios Giannakopoulos, Ricardo Vaz-Te and Johann Smith to cover his current strike force.