Houllier tells French starlets to stay put

Gerard Houllier has urged young French stars Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa to ignore the lure of the Barclays Premier League for the time being.

Marseille playmaker Nasri, 20, has been attracting attention from Europe’s heavyweight teams for the last couple of years, while Lyon duo Benzema, 20, and Ben Arfa, who turns 21 on Friday, have shot to prominence this season.