Hill-Wood hits back at Vieira's jibes
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood last night told Patrick Vieira he has only himself to blame for the club's failure to win trophies as it emerged the Gunners have prepared a fresh £200,000-a-week offer to lure Tottenham's Sol Campbell across north London.
As Vieira insisted that he alone would choose his next club and also discounted a move to Italy, Hill-Wood warned the French midfielder that Arsenal will prosper without him if they have to.
As if to underline his point, the Arsenal board have made fresh moves to sign free agent Campbell on the back of a deal that tops even the mammoth packages put together by Inter Milan and Barcelona.
'If Patrick wants to win trophies then he only has to look at himself to find out why he hasn't managed to do that in the last three seasons,' said Hill-Wood. 'After all, he has been a central part of the team. It's not as if he has not played. He wasn't injured or suspended every week, was he? He was there, in the middle of the field.
'It's not as if it's everybody else's fault, like he makes it out to be. He should think hard about that. I want him to stay. But if he does leave, then we will prosper without him. 'Our official position is that he is under contract and we will be trying to keep him. But I know it might prove difficult. We are banging our heads against a brick wall.'
Sportsmail revealed after Arsenal's Champions League exit in Valencia in March that Vieira was considering a future away from Highbury. The FA Cup Final defeat by Liverpool meant a third successive season without silverware at Highbury. The board will resist any attempts by Manchester United to sign their star asset but, with Vieira ruling out Serie A could lose him to one of Spain's big two, Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Although fans would be distraught to see Vieira go, the arrival of Campbell would serve as some compensation. Despite their previously strict wage structure, Arsenal are desperate to land the 26-year-old and have put together a deal that would touch £200,000-a-week when signing-on fees and image rights are taken into account.
