Hleb to Inter?

[D-Kin]

Report: Nerazzurri snatch Hleb Saturday 12 April, 2008

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Reports in the Italian media maintain Inter have agreed a five-year contract with Arsenal’s Alexander Hleb and £11m transfer.

While Barcelona among others were also interested in making a bid for the Belarus international, the newspapers in the peninsula insist there is only one winner.

Inter are said to have agreed a five-year contract with Hleb worth almost £2m per season plus a £11m transfer fee to the Gunners.

He is earmarked as the ideal replacement for Luis Figo, who is set to leave the club at the end of this term.

Figo had originally planned to retire and work as a director, but there is talk he has instead decided to keep going and end his career in America before training to be a Coach in Portugal.

Candidates for Figo’s position in the team had included Deco, but Inter considered the Barcelona midfielder to be too old for the ‘new’ Nerazzurri.

channel4.com - Football Italia

If this is true then he'd be a great signing for Inter, exactly what they need really. From what I've heard he hasn't had a great season for Arsenal either so for £11m it might be an offer too good to turn down.

[kyan]

Hleb was incredible in the first half of the season and made most people's team of the season:

http://www.talksoccer.net/forum/prem...ar-so-far.html

He's fizzled out a bit in the second half of the season but that's got a lot to do with the rest of his team as well.

He's normally much better through the middle than out wide and that's where he was being played at the start of the season. His dribbling skills are second to none, and he rarely loses the ball but he's terrible at shooting.

£11M would be a steal, Arsenal paid something similar for him and he's still only 26. I can't see Arsenal being happy to sell at that price.

[D-Kin]

Yeah, I had a feeling he'd been a bit quiet throughout the second half of the season. I do rate him though, he's got incredible technique.

I prefer him as a CM as well and I reckon that's where Inter would play him, assuming he's the Figo replacement.

[acitalianman13]

arsenal is my second team after inter ....hleb is a awsome player

[Trim]

Would be a good signing for Inter. Hleb has some great technique.

[Oliver_Kahn]

When Bayern let Hleb go to Arsenal (we were nearly sealing the deal with VfB but then pulled out at the last minute), I wasn't too bothered as I didn't think he would ever reach this level.

He turned into a top class AM, great signing for Inter it they get him for the reported 17m €.

However, I agree with kyan, I don't think Arse will accept such a 'low' fee.

[Jager]

Reports I heard is that he doesn't want to play there any more, and wants to move to Italy.

So that could explain the "low" fee, but we'll see.

But remember this people, Inter is a buyer this summer.

[D-Kin]

It looks like this deal will go through.
channel4.com - Football Italia

[Jager]

Nice!

Dare I say it...another smart buy by Inter. Stay away from the "flash", and go for the real stuff.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

A big loss for Arsenal. Hleb is high quality who will reinforce Inter.

[Vargas_4]

How reliable is the source?

[D-Kin]

Originally Posted by Vargas_4

How reliable is the source?

It appears it came from The Times, fairly reliable I'd say.

[acitalianman13]

i hope this happens the two milan teams snatch 2 arsenal stars

[acitalianman13]

Wenger: I'll Fight To Keep Hleb
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that he will not let midfielder Alexander Hleb leave the club without a fight...

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Wenger: I'll Fight To Keep Hleb
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This comes just days after one of the stars of the season Mathieu Flamini was allowed to leave the Emirates for Milan on a free transfer, as the club were unwilling to break their wage structure to keep him at the club.

Milan's city rivals Internazionale have been sniffing around Hleb, and are thought to be preparing a summer bid for the player.

When travelling to Milan during their victorious second round Champions League tie, Hleb was said to have left the team hotel to meet with Inter officials, a prospect that infuriated Wenger, who has since revealed he has more information on the matter and will be reporting the Nerazzurri to FIFA.

That aside, the intense disappointment of many fans following Flamini's departure has prompted Wenger into assuring Gunners that he will do everything in his power to keep the playmaker at the club.

"We want to keep Hleb, we want him to be part of our team next year," Wenger told the club's official website. "It is as simple as that. We have lost one player Mathieu Flamini, we do not want to lose more."

Speculation has been rife that Hleb may make use of the 'Webster clause', a rule approved by FIFA that allows players to buy out the final two years of their contract, providing they do not move to a club in the same country.

Wenger doubts whether the Webster rule could be practically applied to Hleb's situation and has moved to end speculation that he will engineer his own departure from the club.

"What people say about the buy-out clause, it is not as simple as it looks," explained the Frenchman. "It is much more difficult and the clubs are reluctant to do that invoke the 'Webster Clause'."

[acitalianman13]

look at this "When travelling to Milan during their victorious second round Champions League tie, Hleb was said to have left the team hotel to meet with Inter officials, a prospect that infuriated Wenger, who has since revealed he has more information on the matter and will be reporting the Nerazzurri to FIFA."