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Change Your Life! |
Arsenal boss Arsene worried |
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July 23, 2000
LONDON (AP) - Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger continued to worry Saturday about speculation that Barcelona had its eye on Euro 2000 stars Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit and issued a hands-off warning to the Spanish giants.
Juan Gaspart, a front runner in Barcelona's upcoming presidential election, has reportedly told the Catalan club he will sanction a combined 32 million pound (dlrs 50 million) move for French midfielder Petit and Dutch winger Overmars if he is voted in.
Wenger has conceded he is uneasy over continual speculation that both players will quit Highbury.
"Although they have years left on their contracts here it is very difficult to stop players leaving if somebody else offers them three times as much," Wenger acknowledged. "In football you never say never and if another club puts a 50 million pound (dlrs 75 million) bid on the table for your players you can't say you won't consider it.
"I have spoken to Marc and Manu and I am 95% sure they will be playing for Arsenal next season," he continued. "Manu has already said he wants to stay but I will see Marc again on Thursday and will tell him I only want players to stay if they are 100% committed to us."
Wenger added there was no point to having them start the season "and then by September saying they want to leave." Arsenal, who play second division Barnet in a friendly at Underhill on Saturday, will set off for a week-long training camp near Frankfurt in Germany afterward.
However their French Euro 2000 stars, including 6 million (dlrs 9 million) new-boy Robert Pires, will not join up with them until just before their first match in the Amsterdam pre-season festival a week next Thursday - against Barcelona.
Wenger, who released 32-year-old Croatia striker Davor Suker on a free transfer to West Ham at the end of last season, has confirmed he wants another French star, Sylvan Wiltord, to replace him, but that there is no chance unless Bordeaux drop their 13 million pound (dlrs 19.5 million) asking price.
Wenger has also put the moves for Edu and fellow-Brazilian Edmilson on ice after Edu was turned back from Heathrow passport control last week after it was discovered he was carrying a false EU passport.
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