Arsene Wenger is fuming after
rumours that Inter Milan tried to tap up Alexander Hleb before
Arsenal's match with AC Milan.
Arsène Wenger is considering reporting Internazionale to
Uefa for tapping up Alexander Hleb. The Arsenal midfielder left the
team's hotel the night before the second leg of their Champions
League last-16 tie against Milan two weeks ago with the agent
Claudio Vigorelli and is believed to have travelled to Inter's
offices on Via Durini.
Vigorelli is an associate of Vincenzo Morabito, a leading
international agent who has dealt frequently with Premier League
clubs and is a director of the leading English agency First Artist.
Yesterday Morabito denied there had been a meeting with Inter but
conceded that Vigorelli and Hleb had shared a taxi from the Melia
Felix hotel, where Arsenal were staying, and that Wenger had made a
complaint.
"It's true that Hleb saw Vigorelli and they went out from the
Melia Felix but it's not true that they went to talk to Inter
Milan," said Morabito. "They went for an ice-cream. We are sorry
that Mr Wenger took it badly and complained because we have a good
relationship with him."
Hleb joined Arsenal from Stuttgart for £11.2m in 2005 and is
under contract until 2010. There have been no talks about an
extension as he approaches the final two years of his deal.
The 26-year-old Belarusian sparked claims that he wanted to
leave Arsenal in February 2006 when he was seen dining with
Hamburg's chief scout, Michael Schröder, at a London restaurant.
Wenger dismissed the rumours, pointing out that Hleb and Schröder
had a friendship through Hleb's younger brother, Vyacheslav, who
used to play for Hamburg. But Arsenal's manager has not taken the
Inter link so lightly. The Italian club have been tracking Hleb for
some weeks and, despite his form slipping of late, they are
expected to approach Arsenal with an offer in the summer. Barcelona
have also been reported as an interested party.
Wenger might like to rest Hleb but his midfield options have
been restricted by Tomas Rosicky's continued absence. The Czech
international last played against Newcastle United in the FA Cup on
January 26 and his hamstring injury is not responding to treatment
as had been hoped. "It is pretty irksome. I still cannot start full
training," he said. "There is nothing I can do but wait and hope
that the injury goes away."
