Wenger: Vieira staying put

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger expects Patrick Vieira to turn up for training next week, despite Real Madrid again being linked with the Frenchman.

Real president Florentino Perez has admitted he is interested in signing Arsenal's France international, despite recently splashing out a world record £48million to land Zinedine Zidane from Juventus.

Perez said: "Vieira interests us but we have not yet had discussions with him or Arsenal.
But if Vieira is accessible, and a deal can be done, I don't see why not."

Reports suggested Vieira was on the verge of joining the Spanish giants for £15million next week, with Geremi and Claude Makelele moving to Highbury.But Gunners boss Wenger is confident Vieira will turn up for training with his Arsenal team-mates next week and is not heading for The Bernabeu.

"I'm sure he will turn up, all the speculation has been in the newspapers," Wenger told Sky Sports. "I don't believe that Real Madrid plan to buy Patrick Vieira this season."