ARSENAL GO FOR TREBLE
EXCLUSIVE
ARSENE WENGER will test the ambition of the Arsenal board by asking them to fund a daring treble swoop.
He has targeted Real Madrid striker Guti, Leeds star Harry Kewell and Valencia defender
Roberto Ayala even though the Arsenal boss has been told he will have a transfer budget of just £10m this summer.
But after news of his discussions with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez were revealed, Wenger is looking for a financial response from the board.
They face a massive test of resolve as Wenger attempts to hijack Manchester United and Liverpool in signing the brilliant Kewell.
The Frenchman will try and minimise damage to his budget by offering Ray Parlour plus £4m for the Australian winger.
Leeds manager Peter Reid tried to buy Parlour when he was in charge at Sunderland and Wenger hopes he might be tempted by the part-exchange.
Arsenal are also banking on Kewell's reluctance to move to Old Trafford because he fears he would not be a first-team regular there.
Kewell, who is on holiday in Portugal, would prefer to join Arsenal and a move south would suit his London-born wife, Emmerdale actress Sheree Murphy.
The Gunners purse-strings would be stretched by Guti, who has scored 13 goals this season but is behind Ronaldo and Raul in the Bernabeu pecking order. He is available for around £7m.
Argentine Ayala will be offloaded by Valencia for around £5m if they fail to claim the fourth and final Champions League spot in La Liga over the next fortnight.
Wenger's interest in landing Guti to play alongside Thierry Henry up front is proof that he does intend to see out the remaining two years of his Arsenal contract, rather than decamp to Madrid.
The Frenchman is desperate to get Kanu's £40,000-a-week contract off his payroll and is ready to let Sylvain Wiltord go as well, while he knows that Dennis Bergkamp cannot play on as a frontline striker at 34.
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