Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has described Real Madrid’s world record $132.5 million bid for Gareth Bale as a “joke” that makes a mockery of UEFA’s newfinancial fair play rules that force clubs to balance their books.
“It makes a joke of it,” Wenger said of Real’s bid for Tottenham’s Welsh winger. “It’s quiteamazing that in the year where the financial fair play comes in, the football world has gone completely crazy.” He added: “You wonder what kind of impact and effect it has on the football world. Itlooks like it has made everybody worse than before.”
Despite the fact that Bale played for Arsenal rival Spurs, Wenger does not want to see such a talented player leave the Premier League.”It is never good to lose a big player,” Wenger said. “He is a British player and I believe it is important that the Premier League keeps the best players.”
Regarding Arsenal’s bidsfor Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, the Frenchman said: “We will completely respect what Liverpool wants to do. We want to [sign the player] if it is feasible in an amicable way. I am agreat believer you have to keep as much confidentiality as possible, which is quite difficult in the modern world. But we work very hard, not only on the case you name, but on other differentcases.”