The Belarus
international has been heavily linked with a move away from the
Emirates, having earned strong interest from Internazionale, Barcelona
and Real Madrid.
And agent Niki Spilevski revealed that the
27-year-old will leave North London this summer, following crunch talks
with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
“I can officially confirm that a short time ago Alexander decided that he will leave Arsenal and join another club,” he said.
“Of course Arsenal and Arsene wanted him to stay but they have accepted the player’s choice.”
Change
Hleb moved to Arsenal for ₤11.2 million from
Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart in 2005, and has since established
himself alongside Cesc Fabregas as one of the team’s key creative
outlets.
But the midfielder has grown weary of the
hustle-and-bustle of London, and Spilevski confirmed that his client
seeks a fresh challenge.
“That is his choice,” he said. “He has understood that the right time has come for him to make a change.
“Alex
has spent three good seasons at Arsenal and he wasn’t sure he could
maintain the same level that he has been showing if he stayed.
“It’s
also true that he felt uncomfortable off the field. Alexander wants a
change of scene. That’s had a large part to play in his decision.
“Alex informed the club of his desire to move to another club.”
Talks
Wenger
was livid upon learning that Hleb held talks with Inter officials
before the end of the season, and threatened to banish the player to
the reserves.
The Frenchman feared Hleb would enact article 17,
a FIFA rule that allows players to buy out their own contract if they
have played in a particular country for a certain amount of time.
But Spilevski denied that his client would exploit the clause, and insisted that Hleb’s future should be sorted during the week.
“We are not using article 17 of the FIFA rule,” he said. “I can’t tell you anything about where he will be playing yet.
“Talks
are underway, and I don’t have the right to make them public. I think
that the issue of his new club will be clarified in the next few days.”
what the...
i will be SOOOOO happy if he goes!!!
The Belarus
international initially struggled at Arsenal following his ₤11 million
move from VfB Stuttgart in 2005, many labelling him a flop by the end
of his second season in England.
But the 27-year-old finally
clicked last season to become one of the Gunners’ key creative outlets,
combining with Cesc Fabregas to form a lethal attacking thrust from
midfield.
The former BATE man has still failed to settle completely to life in
London, however, and in recent weeks has been strongly linked with the
likes of Inter Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Hleb claims his
time at the Emirates has been a real eye-opener, admitting he was
completely unprepared for the pace and power of the Premier League,
despite his experience in Germany.
The Best
"I have learned in England that there is still so much to improve," Hleb told Frankfurter Allgemeine. "I have always dreamed of playing in a great club. Now I have learned that it is not so easy and a lot of work.
"The
first year was a killer. I felt very lonely. It was clear that The
Premier League would be a challenge - but with this pace, I have not
expected this. The Bundesliga is still a good league, but a season in
England feels like two in Germany.
"I will tell you an example:
When I was here at the beginning, everything went chop chop, so fast.
The pace was madness, even in training. I look for the ball in front of
me, then where I can play it - when I looked down again the ball was
gone.
"The English league is the best league in the world."
The Barcelona-based
daily reports that the Belarussian midfielder met with Txiki
Begiristain, Barça's technical secretary, yesterday in Germany.
The
meeting between the two in Kaiserslautern apparently went well, meaning
that, if Hleb is to join up with the blaugrana, all they must do now is
reach a transfer agreement with Arsenal.
However, this is where
the difficulty lies, for other clubs are interested in the midfielder.
Inter Milan of Italy are one of them, while Real Madrid coach Bernd
Schuster admitted his admiration for the Gunner yesterday.
What's more, the man himself stated that the Premier League is the best
in the world, and may even look to remain in England while also leaving
the Emirates, unlikely though that may be.
In any case, El Mundo Deportivo believe that an asking price of between €15m and €20m may be requested of any suitor.
they r leaving us one by one. but its expected. no trophy past 3 seasons
Giovanni dos Santos should be included as part of the deal ...
Hleb has only gave us a few goals during three seasons. So he may jolly well fuck off
Originally posted by felirox:Hleb has only gave us a few goals during three seasons. So he may jolly well fuck off
ya he gave little goals but then he did provide key passes... something eboue cant even do... but since he wan to leave then let it be...
The future of the
Belarus international has been cast into doubt in recent weeks after
statements from Hleb’s agent Nikolai Shpilevski claiming last week that
Wenger had accepted the player’s wish to leave Emirates Stadium.
However,
the playmaker has not completely ruled out a move and has said that if
he does depart, it would be to Italy or Spain and not to another
Premier League side.
Real Madrid and Inter Milan have both
shown their interest in weeks gone by, while reports in Spain on
Wednesday claimed that Barcelona have a verbal agreement to sign the former Stuttgart star.
However, the
27-year-old has angrily rejected suggestions that he has publicly
stated his desire to leave the North London club and claims he would
never show such disrespect to manager Arsene Wenger.
“I also see everything on television and the newspapers," Hleb told Setanta Sports.
"I
have a contract at Arsenal until 2010. I have also read [that I have
said I want to leave], but I do not know who has written it. That is
nonsense.
“I have also read that I wanted to move because Arsenal would win nothing, this too is nonsense.
“But
I would really not like to comment on the issue really because there is
nothing more to say, because the club means so much to me.
“I
have learned so much from Arsene Wenger. This man has always supported
me and given me the chance to come to Arsenal. I would therefore never
say anything negative about Arsenal.
“If I’ll go, then only in a different league, in any case, in England, there is only Arsenal for me.”
Hleb
enjoyed a superb season for Arsenal, perhaps his best since arriving in
England, but ultimately The Gunners ended up empty-handed when as their
bids for the Premier League and the Champions League ran out of steam,
with both trophies being won by Manchester United.
Empty-Handed
And
at 27, Hleb admits he is concerned at finishing his career with a bare
trophy cabinet after coming through three seasons in North London
empty-handed.
“Titles are the most important thing,” Hleb added.
“You can play very well, perhaps one of the best ever, but after the career you ask what you have won.
“To
win a title is also the most important thing for me. The clock is
ticking but it is simply not happening. It is very difficult.
“In this year I thought that I would win two titles, but as I said everything went wrong.
“I do not know what happened. Suddenly everything was gone. It is a pity because this season it was going very well.
“I
think I played quite well, even though it could have been better. I am
satisfied. Only with the end that we have no title, I am obviously not
satisfied.”
all the best hleb
The words of Vincenzo Morabito add credence to recent rumours linking the Belarussian ace to a switch to Catalunya.
He
told the press that Internazionale, under the tutelage of ex-Chelsea
boss José Mourinho, have cooled their interest in the midfielder, and
with Real Madrid yet to make their move, Barcelona are in the driver's
seat.
He said to Unico Grande Amore radio, "He's close to Barcelona. The blaugrana have aimed for months now to bring him to them.
"But it's a shame that we didn't get to take him to Italy as he was well-admired at Inter.
"Mourinho has chosen a different path, focusing on his own players."
Hleb is rumoured to have already agreed personal terms with Barça, meaning that the club must now seek an accord with Arsenal.
The German capital
club look set to continue the rebuilding of their squad as they plan on
mounting a serious European challenge upon their return to the
Champions League.
The Belarusian international has reiterated
his wish to leave the Gunners on multiple occasions and an array of
top-flight clubs is believed to be interested in his services.
Although
Barcelona were reportedly leading the chase for the 27-year-old
midfielder, Bayern Munich's interest may well hinder his move to Camp
Nou.
A transfer to Allianz Arena would represent Hleb's return to Germany
after six years of play at VfB Stuttgart, which ended in 2005 when he
moved to England.
It is believed that the Bavarian club are
ready to put together an offer worth €15 million for Hleb, a figure
Arsenal will agree with, according to reports.
Can he just fuck off?
The Belarusian
international has reiterated his wish to leave the Gunners on multiple
occasions since the end of the season and an array of top-flight clubs
is believed to be interested in his services.
Although Barcelona
were reportedly leading Inter in the chase for the 27-year-old
midfielder, the emergence of Bayern Munich on the scene has led to the
speculation increasing in intensity.
“I have not signed with Bayern, Barcelona or any other club,” Hleb insisted to German website Focus Online.
“There
is a lot of speculation and talk. I will now rest and spend some time
with my friend and representative Niki Spilevski while I think further
about my future.”
Arsenal are said to be resigned to losing the 26-year-old, and it is believed that they would not say no to an offer over €15m.
Having lost Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
is looking to bring in a new top-class holding midfielder - and sees
Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure, brother of Gunner Kolo Toure, as
the ideal replacement for Flamini.
According to some reports, Barcekona have already agreed terms with
Hleb's agent regarding his side of the proposed transfer - but the
Catalan giants appear reluctant to include Toure as part of the deal.
"Nothing has been decided as yet," said Begiristain.
"But we want Yaya to stay with us and he is not on the market.
"[Barca's new manager Josep] Guardiola considers him to be an important player in his new project."
Toure has previously said he would love to be playing in the same club
side as his elder brother Kolo, and it seems Arsenal, irritated by the
public courting of some of their players by Spanish and Italian clubs,
are prepared to play hardball and only agree transfers that offer them
something as well.
this saga's gonna last for at least a month
i think if one want to cut and paste, you shld at least quote the source for credibility. otherwise, it is all crap.
The article above is from Goal.com ...
Originally posted by redDUST:i think if one want to cut and paste, you shld at least quote the source for credibility. otherwise, it is all crap.
ok..i'll try
The Belorussian has
made it clear that he is keen to leave the Emirates this summer and the
Blaugrana looked to be favourites to secure his services, but the
prolonged chase could be called off.
Arsenal are reportedly
holding out for €20m and Barça are refusing to go to that amount
because they do not feel that the former Stuttgart playmaker is worth
that.
Hleb has also not been seen to do enough to help persuade
the Gunners to let him go to Camp Nou and the Catalan outfit may well
take their search elsewhere.