Wenger: We fought off Man Utd, Real to keep Vieira
Following his captain's imperious return to form in the 1-0 victory over Newcastle at the weekend, Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger has revealed the struggle he had to keep Patrick Vieira in the red and white of Arsenal.
Following his captain's imperious return to form in the 1-0 victory over Newcastle at the weekend, Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger has revealed the struggle he had to keep Patrick Vieira in the red and white of Arsenal.
The former AC Milan midfielder has been consistently linked with a number of top clubs since blossoming into a world-class player at Highbury, but with the Senegal-born superstar pledging his future to Arsenal, the media speculation has finally begun to die down.
"I had to fight hard to keep him because Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus all wanted to sign him,'' said Wenger.
"The media kept trying to sell Patrick,'' he continued.
"But we stayed strong and there hasn't been another approach for him for about a year.
"Now Patrick has made it clear he wants to stay and we hope soon to have him sign a new contract.