Santi Cazorla has revealed that Arsenal have asked him about the development of Villarreal teammates Samuel Chukwueze and Pau Torres.
Before returning to the Spanish side for his third spell at the club, Cazorla spent six years at the Emirates Stadium, making 180 appearances in all competitions.
With Chukwueze and Torres having impressed in La Liga, Cazorla has suggested that the Gunners have contacted him regarding their progress.
However, the 35-year-old says that he has informed the Premier League giants to let the pair continue their careers at Estadio de la Ceramica for the foreseeable future.
Speaking to Marca, Cazorla said: "They ask me about them and think they can make the jump to the Premiership tomorrow. It's good that great teams are interested in young players from Villarreal, but for the moment I tell them to leave them alone here.
"They still have to take steps forward. They both have a great personality, and their feet are on the ground. In Pau's case he hears constant talk of [Manchester] City or Barcelona, but he is aware that he has to keep growing as a player and that in the future we will see where he can go."
Chukwueze has a contract until the end of the 2022-23 campaign, while Torres is tied to Villarreal for a further 12 months.
Darren Plant
