Vieira ultimatum
Arsenal will put Patrick Vieira up for sale if he refuses to sign a new contract this summer. The French midfielder says he is happy at Highbury but there are growing fears that he intends to see out his current deal, which expires in 2004, and then walk away. If he stalls on extension talks at the end of this season the Gunners will sell him, rather than let him leave on a Bosman a year later and miss out on a possible multi-million pound deal. Some Highbury directors also fear his market value has soared so high he will eventually drift out of their financial reach unless a deal is concluded quickly. More worrying for Arsenal is the continued interest of their Northern rivals Manchester United who refuse to rule out a move for Vieira. Ongoing concerns over Roy Keane's fitness have merely intensified their interest and if Arsenal are forced to listen to offers in the summer they can expect Sir Alex Ferguson to be one of the first to come calling.
Sports staff, Sunday Mirror
Arsenal will put Patrick Vieira up for sale if he refuses to sign a new contract this summer. The French midfielder says he is happy at Highbury but there are growing fears that he intends to see out his current deal, which expires in 2004, and then walk away. If he stalls on extension talks at the end of this season the Gunners will sell him, rather than let him leave on a Bosman a year later and miss out on a possible multi-million pound deal. Some Highbury directors also fear his market value has soared so high he will eventually drift out of their financial reach unless a deal is concluded quickly. More worrying for Arsenal is the continued interest of their Northern rivals Manchester United who refuse to rule out a move for Vieira. Ongoing concerns over Roy Keane's fitness have merely intensified their interest and if Arsenal are forced to listen to offers in the summer they can expect Sir Alex Ferguson to be one of the first to come calling.
Sports staff, Sunday Mirror
