ARSENE WENGERS future at Arsenal was thrown into
further doubt last night when it emerged that certain key board
members are against his plan to bring bad boy Nicolas Anelka back
to the club.
Wenger wants to bring former Gunner Anelka back in a £10.5million
deal from Bolton as revealed by the Daily Express on Saturday
as a replacement for Thierry Henry, who will today complete his
£16m move to Barcelona.
But Wengers plans have met with opposition within Arsenal. Senior
and long-serving members of the Gunners board are among those who
are not keen on bringing back to the club a player who caused so
much trouble with
the way that he engineered his £23m move to Real Madrid in
1999.
Henry will have a medical at the Nou Camp this morning before being
unveiled as the Catalan clubs latest big-money capture.
And Wenger wants controversial French international Anelka, 28, to
fill the gap left by his countryman and the manager now faces the
task of sweet-talking the move past several members of the Arsenal
board this week.
Anelka was dubbed the Incredible Sulk by media and fans back in
1999 when, after leading Arsenal to the Double the previous year,
he first demanded a massive pay rise and then virtually threatened
to go on strike when Real Madrid came in for him, leaving the club
with no option but to sell him.
At the time, Gunners angry vice-chairman David Dein said: He did
it then, and he will do it to another club in the future. Other
officials who were on the board at the time have not forgotten the
antics of Anelka, his then agent Marc Roget, or his two older
brothers, who were acting as his advisers.
But Dein has now left and Wenger, the man who discovered and
pinched the then 17-year-old from Paris St Germain, where he was a
youth player, for a bargain £500,000, has never since publicly
criticised Anelka.
The Arsenal boss still has a relationship with the striker and
believes he has matured. Talks have already begun with Anelkas
representatives and Wenger is certain to insist on having his way
on this occasion, with the former Liverpool, Manchester City and
Fenerbahce man his No1 target now.
The board are already worried because Wenger has only a year left
on his contract and are equally likely to back down.
Anelka has spoken before of his wish to return to a top-four
English club and earlier this season even admitted he would love a
return to Arsenal, saying: Going back there would be great. They
are a great club, solid and serious. Arsene Wenger is one of the
best coaches in the world and I cant hide that the club marked my
life forever. I spent some great moments there.
The Gunners board are in fact preparing a new contract for Wenger,
which will tie him to the club until 2011, and they are privately
confident he will sign it.
But the manager, even before this latest row, was in no hurry to
put pen to paper and will not be rushed into a decision, such is
his dissatisfaction with the departure of close ally Dein. The loss
of Henry will hardly have helped matters.
Barcelonas capture of Henry, who flew to Spain last night has,
however, been welcomed by future team-mate Lionel Messi.
The brilliant Argentinian said: Henry is a great player, for that
reason he comes to Barca. Cesc Fabregas has always said that Titi
is fantastic in training and that he is even better away from the
pitch, as a friend and a leader.
But former Arsenal goalkeeping hero Bob Wilson said he was worried
at the effect this departure would have on the young players left
at the Emirates.
Wilson said: Arsenal are in a mini-crisis at the moment. Thierry
is one of the greatest players I have ever seen at Arsenal,
thrilling in every respect.
My one worry is his suggestion that he partly left because he was
unsure what Arsene was going to do in one years time. I dont like
the message that sends out to the youngsters in the squad. Arsene
has built an amazing young squad. But minds are very easily tipped
when a senior player says something like that.