Arsene Wenger last night set Patrick Vieira a deadline of next Saturday to resolve his mooted transfer to Real Madrid, or commit his future to Highbury.
The Arsenal captain finds the allure of the Bernabeu compelling, but has been deterred by financial aspects of Madrid's offer. Wenger refuses to allow the unsettling saga to continue into the Premiership season, prompting his comments after the 3-1 Community Shield win over Manchester United yesterday, a match Vieira missed because of a thigh injury.
"My intention is clear: to keep him," said Wenger. "He has given eight fantastic years for the club and has helped build something fantastic, but I want him to be clear in his mind. He can't be half with us and half with someone else. Only he can clarify the situation and he has to do that now. I told him about the potential and I think he believes it. He's got until Saturday to make up his mind.
"The challenge in front of us is hugely difficult and we need a complete focus. I'm not resigned to let the story go on. It has all to be sorted out before the season."
Even Wenger's Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson had a modicum of sympathy for Arsenal. Though David Beckham, who was Madrid's galactico signing last summer, had Ferguson's blessing to leave, the Scot is aware of the Spanish side's transfer market manoeuvrings. "They wear you down," said Ferguson. "They go on and on and on. You don't know when it's going to finish."
Wenger is now trying to take control of a complicated situation. The Spanish radio station, Cadena SER, which has strong links with Real Madrid, reported prematurely last week that Vieira would undoubtedly complete the move. That appears to have been based on an agreement in principle reached over the £23.1 million fee for the Frenchman.
However, more detailed negotiations with Vieira and his representatives have uncovered disparities between the player's demands and Madrid's offer. The Spanish side's president Florentino Perez is prepared only to tender personal terms equivalent to those of the full-back Roberto Carlos, considered a second-tier earner.
Such a valuation falls short of Vieira's request for parity with the likes of Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Beckham. Although the Frenchman is beguiled by the prospect of donning the white shirt - and knows that, at 28, the opportunity is unlikely to come again - he refuses to be sold short.
None the less, Wenger is growing exasperated at his captain's hesitancy and will not wait on his decision forever. "Patrick's commitment is not in question," he said. "He's always been outstanding in that. But before you start the season you want the captain to be focused on the mind. I don't know, frankly, (what he wants). I do know what I want and I know what the club wants.
"The club doesn't want the money or want him to go. It's down to him to stay and be focused. He can only do that if he's convinced by that. He'll be fit in two or three more weeks. But we have to sort that situation out. There's a big difference between when Real Madrid start the season, in September, than us on Saturday."
The deadline will inconvenience Vieira, since Madrid will be only at the halfway stage of their Champions League qualification round against Wisla Krakov. Part of the attraction of a move to the Bernabeu would be the hope of progressing further in a competition in which Arsenal have never gone beyond the quarter-final stage, yet on Saturday Vieira cannot even be sure of Madrid's participation in the tournament.
Yesterday's declaration will be as much a message to Madrid as to the player, since, with three years still to run on his Arsenal contract, Wenger would be able to withdraw the club's financial accord with the Spanish club.
"If Patrick stays, he is a player I respect hugely because, every game he has played for me, he's done the maximum. Sometimes (he is) good, sometimes (he is) very good.
"But if he chooses not to stay then we'll have to find different solutions. I'm positive that we can do well, can develop players. We've worked very hard in the last five years to get good young players in and you saw that today."
Guardian Service
