Arsene Wenger determined to keep William Gallas
Arsene Wenger has said that more talks are planned with William Gallas advisors a week today. The defender is out of contract this summer and has attracted interest from AS Roma this week.
The Arsenal manager refused to confirm whether he was willing to make an exception to his rule of offering only a one-year contract to players aged over 30. Gallas will turn 33 this summer.
I am not concerned, Wenger said. We have not found an agreement yet. I meet his agents again next Thursday and we will try to find a solution. I would like to keep all that secret about contract lengths. I feel I have to respect both parties and not to come out about the details of negotiations.
He is out of contract and can talk to whom he wants. I do not know if he has spoken to Roma. He is speaking to us and our desire is to keep him here. I think he wants to stay here.
Gallas and Cesc Fabregas, who has a hamstring injury, will miss the match away to Hull City on Saturday with a calf injury. Alexandre Song is suspended, while Tomas Rosicky is a doubt with a groin strain. Wenger and Arsenal have history with Hull in recent matches, notably last season when Fabregas was accused, and then cleared, of spitting at Brian Horton, the Hull assistant manager. This season, Samir Nasri was accused of stamping on Richard Garcia and was booked for shoving Stephen Hunt when Arsenal won 3-0.
Wenger denied there was animosity between the clubs. We do not focus on bad blood, he said. We just focus on our game and try to play well. If you look at what happened there was not a lot, nobody has been injured.
There was a little brawl at some stage where we got punished, them as well, but the game was not dirty. I feel there is respect. We just try to play football. We have to focus on what is the most important, which is that the people who pay to come to watch a game get something for their money. That is what we always try to do. I respect everybody in life, and I dont make any special issue of that.
