Real not making move for Vieira, says Wenger

ARSENE WENGER says that Real Madrid have assured him they have not approached Patrick Vieira.

Vieira has three years left on his Highbury contract but the French midfielder has been consistently linked with a move to the Spanish giants.

But Gunners boss Wenger said last night: "Real Madrid have told us they never approached the player.

"All we know is that there are a lot of agents who want to make some money, but do not know how. It makes a good story but it is one we have every year."

However, David Beckham has urged Patrick Vieira to consider no other team than Real Madrid if he decides to leave Arsenal this summer.

Beckham became the sixth Galactico on the books at the Bernabeu when he joined last summer, and now he wants Arsenal's French international midfielder to make it a magnificent seven for Real.

Meanwhile, Wenger is set to clinch the stg£3m signing of Tunisian right-back Hatem Trabelsi from Ajax, to follow his capture of Marseilles' French Under-21 midfielder Mathieu Flamini.

The 20-year-old midfielder, will cost Arsenal less than stg£1 million, a tribunal-fixed fee, having angered Marseilles by refusing their offer of a full professional contract after being nurtured by them as a young talent.

Wenger, who pulled off a similar deal in 1997 when he grabbed striker Nicolas Anelka from under the noses of Paris St Germain for just stg£500,000 compensation, is likely to put Flamini straight into the senior squad. Wenger said: "He may be young but he has a good level of top-flight experience.

"He is very powerful and plays with great creativity both as a defensive and attacking midfielder."

lTim Cahill finally completed his stg£2million move from Millwall to Everton on a four-year deal as Toffees boss David Moyes jetted across the Atlantic with more signings on his mind.