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Posted

Arsenal accept Juventus' Vieira bid

MILAN, July 14 (Reuters) - Italian champions Juventus agreed to buy Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira for £13.7 million (€20 million) on Thursday.

Juventus said the French international midfielder had signed a five-year deal with the Turin-based team.

'Arsenal Football Club can confirm that terms have been agreed for the transfer of Patrick Vieira to Juventus,' the London club said in a statement.

'At this stage, Patrick is now finalising his personal terms and conditions with Juventus.'

Vieira, 29, was the core of Arsene Wenger's Highbury side which have won three league titles and four FA Cups under the French coach.

Vieira told Arsenal's website: 'When you spend nine years at the club, like I did, it is a difficult decision to leave.

'But in the end you have to make a choice for your future. It was a very difficult decision, but I am happy with it.

'I made the decision to leave because I felt it was time for me to have a new challenge. But that does not mean I was unhappy or that I was having a problem at Arsenal.

'I can go with my head held high. I did my best every day in training and in every match,' he said.

Vieira had been closely linked with moves to Real Madrid in the past two close seasons and said in May he wanted to see out the last two years of his contract with Arsenal.

His move will re-unite him with Fabio Capello, current manager of Juventus but formerly boss of AC Milan when they signed Vieira in November 1995 from Cannes.

Juventus said his fee would be paid in three instalments over two years, with an initial &euro10 million being followed by a further €5 million euros in July 2006 and July 2007.

A 1998 World Cup winner and Euro 2000 winner with France, Senegalese-born Vieira has also been one of English football's most consistent performers since making his debut in September 1996, shortly before Wenger's formal arrival at the club.

His last act in an Arsenal shirt was lifting the FA Cup in May after the penalty shootout defeat of Manchester United in the Cardiff final. Vieira scored the final spot kick.

'Patrick was a great player for us, one of the greatest in the club's history and I feel I had a special relationship with him because I made him come here,' Wenger said.

'I think his impact, not only at Arsenal but in English football overall was just tremendous.'

Vieira started his Arsenal career as a creative player but following the departure of compatriot Emmanuel Petit, he became increasingly defensive, often shoring up the Arsenal backline.

He was sent off 10 times under Wenger and had a long-standing feud with United's captain Roy Keane which made United v Arsenal games the highlights of the English season.

Turin-based Juventus have a long and successful tradition of signing French internationals, beginning with another midfielder, Michel Platini, who was the lynchpin of the team during the mid-eighties.

Vieira is the sixth member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad to sign for Juve after Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Lilian Thuram.

Thuram and Trezeguet are still at the club and feature in the club's first-choice lineup as does another French international, defender Jonathan Zebina.

Why did arsenal sell Vieira? :o R they gone crazy, they sold their best and most consistent player? Maybe Wenger has thoughts of a better player with that money. :D

Posted
Am glad he's gone as a none Gooner. I think he's best days are behind now anyway  :D

If u were a true Arsenal fan u wudnt have said that! :o

Their form when he was injured was actually quite good last season. Having said that you cannot rely on youngsters and his experience will be missed. Good money for a 29 year old.

I see they are after Jenas. He looked the part a couple of years ago but has suffered from the goings on at ST James's. It would be a good move for him and Arsenal.

Posted
Am glad he's gone as a none Gooner. I think he's best days are behind now anyway  :D

If u were a true Arsenal fan u wudnt have said that! :o

As I said in the first post I am a none Gooner (not an Arsenal fan in other words :D )

Thats why I'm glad he's gone :D

Posted

They sold him because Viera wanted a long term contract and Aresnal don't offer that after the age of 30.

If they want to replace him with Jenas, that's a joke and at 12 million, it's hillarious.

Posted

Being a Gooner I will be sorry to see him leave, but I have great faith in Wenger who has proven how shruwed he can be in the buying and selling of players. I think he will have a replacement lined up, but not Jenas that would be a waste! Just brought Alexander Pleb, not sure what he is like though?

Posted
Being a Gooner I will be sorry to see him leave, but I have great faith in Wenger who has proven how shruwed he can be in the buying and selling of players. I think he will have a replacement lined up, but not Jenas that would be a waste! Just brought Alexander Pleb, not sure what he is like though?

I can't believe Arsenal sold Viera!

I'm a Manu U fan - so obviously I think it's great.

It's like Man U selling Roy Keane (never gonna happen).

Maybe Wenger could make me even happier and offload Henry too!

Posted

I can see the logic in this . 13 million is a good price to get for a 29yo. Another 2 or 3 years down the track he will be worth a lot less. Wegner is a pretty shrewd operator and he will invest this money wisely in younger players.

Posted

I'm not happy! Vieira was like a rock at the central midfield and they sold him! :o They dont want Jenas they want Baptista and they offered 13.75 Million pounds for him which Sevilla rejected, read the news:

Sevilla turn down new Baptista bid

MADRID, July 15 (Reuters) - Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido says he has rejected a renewed offer of £13.75million, €20million, from Arsenal for the club's Brazilian attacking midfielder Julio Baptista.

'There is now a written offer on the table for Baptista for 20 million euros,' Del Nido told reporters on Friday.

'The offer is much higher than the three previous ones, but we haven't reached an agreement with Arsenal and the figures are still not close to what we are asking for.

'We are in no hurry. The player is under contract and if we don't agree a deal, then he will play at Sevilla next season.'

Del Nido confirmed that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid had made an offer for the 23-year-old international.

Last week Del Nido rejected what he called a 'derisory' offer from Arsenal for the player.

Spanish media reported on Friday that the English club were prepared to use the 20 million euros they had raised from the sale of Patrick Vieira to Juventus to finance the deal.

Baptista joined Sevilla on a five-year contract from Sao Paulo in July 2003 for £2million.

He made an immediate impact at the Andalucian club, earning the sobriquet 'La Bestia' (the Beast) for his rampaging runs into the area, ending his first season as leading scorer with 20 league goals from 30 appearances.

He continued his rich vein of form last term, notching up 18 goals to help Sevilla to a sixth-place finish in the Primera Liga for the second season in succession.

Baptista was part of the Brazil squad that won the Confederations Cup last month and has not begun pre-season training as he remains on holiday.

Del Nido also confirmed that the club was poised to sign Italian midfielder Enzo Maresca on a four-year deal for a fee of three million euros from Juventus.

'The transfer has been done and if we agree personal terms with the player he will soon form part of our squad,' he said.

Posted
I can see the logic in this . 13 million is a good price to get for a 29yo. Another 2 or 3 years down the track he will be worth a lot less. Wegner is a pretty shrewd operator and he will invest this money wisely in younger players.

Isn't 29 when a footballers supposed to be at his peak - and a holding midfielder like Viera could be well handy up to about 35. Unless they've got a phenomenly good player lined up I just can't see the sense in selling him.

Oh yeah, they'll never get a replacement for that price.

Posted

You talk about Wengers shrewdness in the transfer market but dont forget this was the guy who brought in Richard Wright and Francis Jeffers...amongst other bad buys! Vieira is a good player and i think at 29 he is at his peak...28/29/30 should be the time to get the best out of him. Maybe they thought it was time to cash in on him?

They have Gilberto, Flamini and Fabregas to fill the spot. Fabregas looks like a future star but thats a lot of responsibility for an 18 year old. If they buy Jenas for 12million then they are mad. Decent player despite having a shocker of a season for the barcodes last season but certainly not worth 12 million!

They had better get a replacement in or they will find it much harder to be keeping up with Chelseas this season. If Pires goes too Reyes needs to up his game...Didnt pires get something like 19 goals last season and 16 goals the season before...thats a good amount for a midfielder and more than some strikers get!

Posted

Arsenal better get a replacement before its too late...I recomend them to buy.....Fredson Pareira...this new guy from Brazil is really good...Anyone heard of him ??? Playing in the sinilar position as viera

Posted
They had better get a replacement in or they will find it much harder to be keeping up with Chelseas this season. If Pires goes too Reyes needs to up his game...Didnt pires get something like 19 goals last season and 16 goals the season before...thats a good amount for a midfielder and more than some strikers get!

...and he's 32 years old isn't he?

Posted

maybe they wanted to try new players...But according to Viera in BBC Radio...He wanted to try new chalenges...SO thats why he make that moves

Posted
maybe they wanted to try new players...But according to Viera in BBC Radio...He wanted to try new chalenges...SO thats why he make that moves

I guess he wants european success - never going to happen in highbury.

Will not happen in Highbury but WILL HAPPEN in Emirates Stadium soon! :o

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