Gunners swoop to sign Sol
By Chris Borg
Arsenal have signed former Tottenham skipper Sol Campbell on a free transfer after the player decided that he wanted to remain in the Premiership.
|  | Campbell meets the press
(JamieMcDonald/Allsport) |
Spurs' North London rivals have swooped to land the centre half following a summer of transfer speculation linking him with moves to Inter Milan, Barcelona, Liverpool and the Gunners.
Manager Arsene Wenger targeted the 26-year-old defender earlier in the summer - but it had at one stage looked likelier that he was on his way to either Spain or Italy.
Campbell turned down the offer of a new Tottenham contract soon after the end of last season - sparking a transfer dash. The White Hart Lane side were apparently unwilling to meet his wage demands.
Now the England star has taken the decision to cross North London and sign for his former club's biggest rivals.
And he revealed: 'Staying in the Premiership was important to me. I was very keen to stay in the Premiership.
'Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England coach, is here, and the majority of games he sees are here in England.
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'It was a big decision. I could have earned more money by going abroad, but I felt this was the place to be.'
Campbell will return to White Hart Lane with his new club for the North London derby on 17 November, a game which will be even more highly-charged than usual.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was understandably delighted at possibly English football's greatest transfer coup.
'The only reason we want Sol is to help us improve
and build our team again,' he told a news conference at Arsenal's London Colney training ground. 'We have been not won a trophy for the last three years but we have also come a long way in that time and almost got there.
'We have missed a few things but I feel we are now ready to make a
strong challenge for everything again.'
With the full backing of the Arsenal board, Wenger insists he has not conceded the loss of Patrick Vieira despite the player's
reported remarks in at least one daily newspaper and the clear
indication that his agent Marc Roget has been offering him around
Europe.
Wenger said: 'I have read what is in the newspapers but not one
word of it has come from Patrick's mouth.
'He confirmed that to me when I spoke to him on the telephone a
few days ago and as far as I am concerned he will be reporting back
to us for training on July 15.
'That is later than some of the other players because I gave him
permission for extra time off because he played in the Confederations
Cup for France last month.
'Patrick has given five years' commitment and loyalty to Arsenal
and I am confident he will do the same next season.'
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein said: 'Our position is unchanged.
Patrick Vieira is an Arsenal player and is not for sale at any
price.
'What disturbs me is the things that some people are prepared to
do in order to buy a player.
'But we are not going to let him walk out on his contract just
like that.It would send the wrong message and would be letting down all the
other clubs in the Premiership who want to keep their players on
contract.'
Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has described the club's capture of their rival's biggest star as 'a real feather in their cap'.
Campbell becomes one of very few high-profile figures to have been involved with both clubs - keeper Pat Jennings and managers George Graham and Terry Neil are others who have.
And Smith said: 'The Arsenal fans will forget his connections, but for the Spurs fans to lose their main man to their arch-rivals is a devastating blow - a real kick in the teeth.
'Sol is going to get quite a large amount of stick when they play each other, but he knows that and he's joined a club with a great deal more chance of winning more things than Tottenham.'
But he believes it is unlikely that Campbell's decision to move to Highbury will be enough to persuade midfielder Patrick Vieira to stay.
The French international has made it clear that he wants to quit the club - even though the Gunners are insisting that he is not for sale.
Spurs supporters have reacted to the transfer by blaming their club's recent shortcomings for Campbell's decision to move to their near neighbours.
Fanzine editor Bernie Kingsley explained: 'I am sure there will be lots of anger when he comes back wearing the red shirt.
'It has been on the cards. You only have to look at what we have done over the last few years. He is a world class player and we haven't matched his expectation. He wants to win things and we don't look like doing it.'
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