The Hereford Times

Wenger plays down Hleb reports

4:48pm Friday 9th May 2008

Arsene Wenger insists there is "nothing" in reports that key midfielder Alexander Hleb is set to follow Mathieu Flamini out of the Barclays Premier League club.

The Belarus international's agent Nikolai Shpilevski was on Friday morning quoted claiming the 27-year-old "is leaving" Emirates Stadium this summer, with Inter Milan most strongly linked as a possible destination.

Arsenal boss Wenger has previously reacted angrily to rumoured interest from the Italians, but asked if there had been any developments, Wenger told Arsenal TV: "Frankly, no. You cannot stop people talking but at the moment there is nothing (to discuss)."

He added: "I believe that usually all the players want to stay, and I expect this team to say 'let's make a pact together, come back next year and win'.

"That's what I expect them to do and my priority is to keep the team together, add what I think can help us to even be better and then see from there."

Wenger also insisted there was nothing more the club could have done to keep hold of out-of-contract Flamini, who signed a four-year deal with AC Milan this week.

But the Gunners manager sees no reason to hold a grudge against his countryman.

Asked if everything possible had been done to keep the Frenchman, Wenger said: "Yes. I believe that even Mathieu would concede that.

"We put him in the bracket of where we could go (financially, with a contract offer), and we made him that offer, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

"We have to accept that because Mathieu was a good servant of the club for four years and he came without costing any transfer fee and left without costing any transfer fee, so he was free to go."