By Fab4.
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has said the club are refusing to meet William Gallas’ contract demands, making it highly likely the defender will be leaving the Emirates when his current deal expires next month.
Hill-Wood describes Gallas’s demands as ‘extravgant’ and claims Arsenal are unlikely to meet them. It has been reported that Gallas is looking for a two-year deal worth over around £90,000 a week, but it appears from Hill-Wood’s statement that Arsenal are still offering only a one-year contract as well as a reduction on his current £80,000pw deal.
“His demands are quite extravagant and I don’t think we are prepared to go along with it. We would very much like him to stay, but I think for one year, and not on the money he wants. He is a good player, but you have got to draw the line somewhere.”If he can get the money somewhere else, good luck to him. We still hope he will sign, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. It is not that we are being bloody-minded for the hell of it. We have got to look forward and the cost of players isn’t just in transfers, it is in the salaries as well. And we analyse these quite carefully, because we don’t want to go bankrupt.”
These situations are always difficult. This will be Gallas’ last big contract so you can’t blame him for wanting to get the best possible deal, while you can understand Arsenal not wanting to pay over the odds for a player the wrong side of 30 who has had his fair share of injuries recently. Personally, i think the fairest offer we could make is a two-year extension. No negotiating his wage, just continue to pay him what we have, believed to be £80,000pw, for another two years. If he doesn’t accept, shake hands and let him get a better deal elsewhere.
I want Gallas to remain at Arsenal, he is still a great defender, but the last thing we want is for this to be dragged out for too long. Arsene Wenger needs to get his transfer business done quickly so if he needs to be looking at a replacement for Gallas then he needs to know now. I’m sure the Arsenal officials have set a deadline, but the signs are that Gallas won’t be an Arsenal players next season. Two new defenders please Arsene!
What do Arsenal fans think of the Gallas situation? Please leave your comments below…
