Wenger rocked as Hleb quitshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/09/arsenal.internazionaleArsène Wenger's desire to keep his Arsenal squad together encountered another setback yesterday when the agent of Alexander Hleb, the midfielder who has been courted by Internazionale, went public with the Belarusian's desire to leave at the end of the season.
Wenger has been enraged by what he sees as the tapping-up of Hleb by the Italian club and has threatened to report them to Fifa. But according to Hleb's agent, Nikolai Shpilevski, there is nothing the manager can do to prevent the player from moving on. "Alexander is preparing to make one of the most important moves of his life," Shpilevski told the Belarus paper Pressball. "He is leaving Arsenal even though they want to offer him a new long-term contract and better conditions. Only time will tell if leaving is the right decision, but there's no way back now. Everything will be cleared up in the next two weeks."
Hleb joined Arsenal from Stuttgart in July 2005 for £11.2m and showed only flickers of talent in his first two seasons, but this time out the 27-year-old has been one of the team's best performers. However, he met up with Claudio Vigorelli, the agent who brokers deals for Inter, in Milan on March 3,
the night before Arsenal played Milan in the Champions League. When the meeting was exposed, Vigorelli's associate, Vincenzo Morabito, a leading agent who is well known to Premier League clubs,
claimed that the pair had merely gone for an ice-cream. Morabito added: "We are sorry that Mr Wenger took it badly and complained because we have a good relationship with him."
Inter are prepared to offer Hleb a huge increase on his Arsenal salary, leaving Wenger, who only on Wednesday was clinging to the hope that the Belarusian could be talked round, to wring his hands.
Wenger has already seen Mathieu Flamini, the midfielder, join Milan on a Bosman transfer, having refused to sign a new contract at Arsenal, and there are doubts about Gilberto Silva's future. The Brazilian is under contract until 2009 but he does not want to be a fringe player next season as he has this time. Wenger will have talks with him after Arsenal's final match, at Sunderland on Sunday. The goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will also move because his contract, which expires at the end of the season, has not been renewed.
Wenger, though, did receive one piece of good news yesterday when it emerged that Nicklas Bendtner had ignored overtures from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen to declare his continuing faith in Arsenal.
Bayern indicated via an intermediary that they were prepared to pay €10m for the striker and the other two Bundesliga clubs also made their interest known. "I have heard about these offers from Germany but Nicklas will stay at Arsenal," said Thomas Bendtner, his father. "The only way things could be different was if something unexpected should happen, such as him being moved totally outside of the team, but it's difficult to see that happening as he is playing right now."
Bendtner, 20, has made 39 appearances this season, 16 as a starter, and has scored nine goals. "I've always said that Arsenal is my club and that's where I want to play my football," he said. "When you look at my season and the way it has developed, I see no reason why I should want to change Arsenal with any other club."
The season, though, has again ended without a trophy and Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper who is chasing a double, believes that Arsenal's attractive football alone will not cause them to be remembered. "You need to get the trophies because in the end, if you take the last three years of Arsenal, I don't think in 10 years people will remember that between 2004 and 2008 they played brilliant football," he said. "No one will remember because they finished fourth and third. History recognises the winners
ARSENE WENGER was staring into an Arsenal abyss last night after Alex Hleb revealed he is the latest star to quit the club.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1143082.eceHleb, 27, will buy out the final two years of his contract for £3million and join Inter Milan in the summer.
He follows Mathieu Flamini who snubbed a new Gunners deal to sign for AC Milan on a free.
Boss Wenger also faces a fight to keep Cesc Fabregas after Real Madrid confirmed this week the Spanish star is their No 1 target.
Hleb’s agent, Nikolai Shpilevski, revealed the Belarus midfielder gave Wenger the news face- to-face yesterday.
Shpilevski said: “Alex is preparing to make one of the most important moves of his life.
“He is leaving even though Arsenal want to offer him a new long-term contract.
“Only time will tell if it is the right decision but there’s no way back now. Everything will be settled in the next two weeks.”
Wenger is furious Inter publicly announced they wanted Hleb — who cost Gunners £10m three years ago — and could report the Italians to FIFA.
