Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood claims selling midfielder Patrick Vieira to Manchester United is out of the question. The French international, who has three years left on his contract, has demanded a transfer away from Highbury - and the right to chose his next club.
But while the Gunners are disappointed the World Cup winner has decided his future lies elsewhere, they are determined not to let him join their biggest rivals for the Premiership title.
"It will be a very difficult fight to keep Patrick and no-one should be under any illusion. We will do everything we can to keep him," Hill-Wood told The Sun. "Sadly from the comments coming from him and his agent, he seems determined to leave - but he will not dictate to us who we do business with."
"Selling one of our best players to our closest rivals would not make any sense. We have not agreed to sell him and, anyway, Manchester United is out of the question," Hill-Wood added.
Vieira has revealed he does not want to return to Italy and his former Highbury team-mate Emmanuel Petit has urged the 25-year-old against a switch to Spanish giants Barcelona.
"Should Patrick go to Barcelona? I would say no," said Petit, who is set to return to the Premiership next season having joined Chelsea in a £7.5million deal from the Catalan club. "From my experience there is so much off the pitch that you have to deal with - much more than you do in England."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
