Vieira deal hits snag

Arsenal have been handed fresh hope in their bid to persuade captain Patrick Vieira to stay at Highbury.

Real Madrid had been hoping to clinch Vieira's potential move to the Bernabeu by the weekend, with newspapers in Spain originally claiming that a deal of around £23million had already been agreed.

However, new reports indicate the deal could have encountered a hitch and that Real had broken off negotiations.

Spanish newspaper As reported on their website that Real were unhappy because the fee had risen sharply, supposedly up from £22million to £25.5million, plus £3.4million in bonuses.

Real and Vieira are also said to still be far apart on wages, with the French midfielder thought to be seeking equal treatment to the existing 'galacticos'.

The situation was therefore once again clouded in some uncertainty, with Arsenal left waiting to hear from Vieira himself as to his final decision within the next 48 hours.