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Alexander Hleb 'leaving Arsenal', agent claims

09/05/2008

The agent of Arsenal's Alexander Hleb says the midfielder will leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer transfer window.

The 27-year-old has been linked with Internazionale in the last year with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accusing the Milan club of tapping up Hleb after the north London side met AC Milan in the Champions League in March.

While the Belarusian is under contract with Arsenal until 2010, talks to extend his deal at the Emirates are not believed to have begun and he may now be heading to Inter, according to his agent Nikolai Shpilevski.

"Alexander is preparing to make the most important moves of his life," he told Belarusian newspaper Pressball.

"He is leaving Arsenal even though they want to offer him a new long-term contract and better conditions. Only time will tell if leaving is the right decision, but there's no way back now.

"Everything will be cleared up in the next two weeks."

Wenger spoke earlier this week of his desire to keep the midfielder after Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal to join AC Milan on a free transfer.

"We want to keep Hleb, we want him to be part of our team next year," the Frenchman told the club's website.

"It is as simple as that. We have lost one player [Flamini], we do not want to lose more."

Hleb was suspended for the final three games of the Premier League season on Wednesday April 23rd after admitting an FA charge of violent conduct.

He had been sent off for striking Reading captain Graeme Murty in the Gunners' 2-0 win over the Royals at the Emirates.