Arsene Wenger has no intentions of reading Ashley Cole's new book - and
declared: 'The best is for us to focus on the present and the future.'
The England defender has pulled no punches in the forthcoming autobiography,
which has been serialised in The Times.
Cole, 25, left Arsenal for Chelsea on deadline day last month, bringing to an
end one of the most protracted transfers of recent seasons.
However, the controversy surrounding the saga continues to rumble on, with
Cole today sparing neither his old or new club as he described accounts given to
the Premier League's 'tapping-up' inquiry as 'rubbish' - and suggested the
Gunners were 'hell-bent on revenge' against their London rivals.
Wenger, though, is happy to let others do the talking.
'I heard other people say what they want about this story, we wish him well,
but know we want to focus on our own job,' the Arsenal manager insisted.
'I have not read it, no.
'I feel I am in a good position to know what happens inside our club.
'All the rest, let people say what they want.
'The best is for us to focus on the present and the future.'
Wenger maintains he would not be tempted to write a book while he was still
actively involved in the game.
The Arsenal manager reflected: 'No, because I think you have not to say
things to disturb people and also not to lie.
'So you can only do that as a manager when you finish your career.'
Wenger accepts sometimes controversy sells.
He said: 'The pressure is to do it because if you say everybody is perfect,
then people do not like to read it.
'I feel the day I write a book I will be honest enough to say where I feel I
made mistakes.
'It has to be something like a legacy, where you say it can help some
people.'
Cole also questioned Arsenal's motivation once Chelsea came under
investigation by the Premier League last year - over a murky area of football
transactions in which he believes 'every club' is habitually involved and the
Gunners 'must be up to the same tricks as everyone else'.
Wenger, though, countered: 'We can be charged like anybody the only thing is
that we have not been convicted of that, so it is difficult to accuse us.
'We usually get everybody agreed before to meet the players.
'It is true that clubs are offered players by agents that happens through the
season.'
