Wenger: Real Must Pay For Reyes, Gallas Must Take Pay Cut

LONDON: Manager Arsene Wenger was adamant that Spanish striker Jose Antonio Reyes will stay at Arsenal Football Club unless Real Madrid offer the right price for the football player.

As for Chelsea's William Gallas, the French defender is welcome at Stamford Bridge – provided he accepta a pay cut.

Gallas has been frozen out by Blues boss Jose Mourinho after rejoining the squad late for pre-season training and publicly voicing his desire to leave.

And Arsenal's England left-back Ashley Cole is in exactly the same position. His protracted transfer negotiations with English Soccer Premiership champions Chelsea have become increasingly strained.

Now it seems the two London clubs are set for a hectic spell of negotiations over the two ostracised football players before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

“I like the fact he (Gallas) is a good defender. He can play right-back, left-back, centre-back,” Wenger said.

“We want the player because we made an offer for him. That is clear.”

However, the Arsenal manager stressed: “We have not spoken to the player yet. You need to agree personal terms. We have a salary cap here and he comes from a club with no salary cap.

“I do not know if it is possible to agree personal terms and agree with Chelsea.

“If he comes here, frankly, he will have to come for less money.

“We can make one exception (captain Thierry Henry) – but we cannot make five or six.”

“As you know there is always a lot happening in the last few days - but he is a player we have a chance to get.

“He wants to leave Chelsea, Ashley Cole wants to leave us.”

Wenger insisted there was no deal on the table from Real for Reyes.

“There is no deal with Madrid, I can assure you,” the Frenchman said.

“His agent flies 2,000 feet in the air - but he must come down to earth again.

“If you want to buy a player, you go in, 'I want this football player, I have so much money', if you like it, you take it or not ... but if you say 'I like a player, but sorry I have no money' - stay at home.”

Reyes has publicly said he would like to join the Spanish giants and Real are reported to have offered £8.5mil for the 22-year-old. But the figure falls way below Arsenal's valuation of the player.

[Source from; thestar.com.my]