Real pressure Arsenal for Vieira

REAL MADRID coach Jose Antonio Camacho reiterated his determination to strengthen his side’s defensive capabilities yesterday as the Spanish club tried to increase the pressure on Arsenal to sell Patrick Vieira.

Spanish newspaper Marca, who routinely act as the unofficial mouthpiece for Real, reported that the club had now ended the phoney war over Vieira by finally submitting an official faxed bid.

Neither club was willing to confirm this development and the reported £18m bid was well short of Arsenal’s valuation of their influential captain.