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Wenger to be handed all money from player sales

Arsene Wenger may lose Cesc Fabregas this summer © Getty Images

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Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has told Soccernet that manager Arsene Wenger will be able to reinvest every penny raised from player sales this summer.

Hill-Wood stopped short of suggesting that £50 million-rated Cesc Fabregas would be sold to Barcelona or, for that matter, whether he will be forced to stay, but claimed that Wenger would receive all the money from any sales.

"It is our policy that we give the manager a transfer budget, which includes the ability to use all the money from player sales. Absolutely,'' Hill-Wood told Soccernet. ''He will get the money no matter how much we got from selling a player."

Hill-Wood and his board have always given Wenger a completely free hand in decisions affecting the team and as Arsenal are running the club on sound financial principles, there is no pressure whatsoever to cash in on any player at any price - which makes it even tougher for Barcelona to think they can force down the price for Fabregas.

Hill-Wood said: "Fabregas might stay, he might go, I have no idea, and have no intention of making any comment on the subject."

One of the agents involved in negotiations for the midfielder told Soccernet: "I can imagine Arsenal having a figure of £50 million as a valuation for Fabregas, but Barcelona have a figure of £35 million.

"I believe Barcelona will go as high as £40 million to get the player they want, but I cannot see them going any higher."

As yet, Barca have not tabled an offer, knowing it falls well short of Arsenal's valuation, and while the clubs are miles apart on price, it has failed to be bridged with a player exchange deal, so far.

The agent added: "Yaya Toure was the player that Wenger would have liked, but the player has declined, so that has not smoothed things at all."

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