There is sure to be a frank and full discussion between Arsene Wenger and Alexander Hleb, after reports in The Guardian that the Arsenal winger went for talks with Inter the evening before playing for the Gunners in the San Siro stadium a fortnight ago.
Although the Arsenal boss is venting his public spleen with Inter for allegedly tapping up the player, surely he’ll want to know why the Belarussian and agent Claudio Vigorelli left the team hotel, despite them claiming they wanted an ice cream!
“It’s true that Hleb saw Vigorelli and they went out from the Melia Felix but it’s not true that they went to talk to Inter Milan,” said Morabito, a leading international agent who has dealt frequently with Premier League clubs and is a director of the leading English agency First Artist. “They went for an ice-cream. We are sorry that Mr Wenger took it badly and complained because we have a good relationship with him.”
It’s safe to say that this is one of the most far-fetched excuses you will hear this season! However, is it wrong for a player to assess his options, much in the same way that everyone wants to secure the best package for themselves? Or does it show a complete lack of disrespect to Arsenal (especially on the eve of a crucial European match) to take advantage of being in Milan to speak with a rival club?