Gunners get Real on prospect of Vieira exit

ARSENAL were last night facing up to the unsavoury prospect of life without Patrick Vieira as the French World Cup winner seemed to edge closer to a move to Real Madrid.

Neither club have made any official comment, despite a radio station in Spain reporting that Real president Florentino Perez and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein had negotiated a £23.1 million (€35 million) deal for the midfielder.

Highbury sources "insist no formal agreement had been reached" but with no concrete confirmation or denial the speculation is unlikely to subside swiftly.