Gunners give Brazilian midfielder Edu ultimatum
LONDON: Brazilian midfielder Edu has been given an ultimatum by Arsenal: sign a new contract by January or spend five months on the bench.
Edu, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has failed to agree terms on a new deal with the London club and there has been reported interest from Barcelona.
But while Gunners boss Arsene Wenger would like the Brazilian international to stay at Highbury, he has given him less than a month to make up his mind on his future.
If Edu fails to put pen to paper, the Arsenal boss will dip into the January transfer market to sign an experienced replacement.
And if Edu then agrees a pre-contract with another club, that could result in him being left out of the Arsenal starting line-up – as Sylvain Wiltord found to his cost last season.
Wenger declared: “It's up to Edu. If he doesn't sign a new deal, we will buy someone else. It's as simple as that.
“He has an offer from us. If he doesn't take up that offer, we have to consider the situation is not in our hands any more. He can sign anywhere else on January 2, so he has much to consider.
“Once someone has signed for someone else, it's difficult to be completely orientated and committed to his club.
“You might worry about getting injured. That's why I'm not convinced this rule is right. Basically, it denies the guy to fulfil his complete contract until the end.”
Wenger added: “He has an offer from us that shows we want to keep him. But I can accept it if that isn't good enough and he feels he can get more somewhere else.
“I'm not surprised as he's a great player. He's a professional footballer and, if he can get a better offer, then he has to consider that.
“But we must consider what is in the best interests of the club. We have a wage scale here that must be respected.
“We would buy someone experienced who would be available straight away as we already have Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini.”
Wenger meanwhile denied an interest in River Plate midfielder Javier Mascherano. – AFP
News Poll
- Malaysia’s hope for peace in southern Thailand
- We’ll be paying less with GST
- Kudos to Muar police
- It’s the trimmings that make folk happy
- Keeping hope on Copenhagen
- We reap what we sow in a marriage
- Bollywood heroes defy age
- A child’s upbringing is crucial
- Swiss move to ban minarets must be reversed
- Forced to pay again for shorter trip on ERL
- We reap what we sow in a marriage
- We’ll be paying less with GST
- It’s the trimmings that make folk happy
- Bollywood heroes defy age
- A child’s upbringing is crucial
- Keeping hope on Copenhagen
- Time to address urban issues
- Swiss move to ban minarets must be reversed
- Malaysia’s hope for peace in southern Thailand
- Forced to pay again for shorter trip on ERL
RSS
