Beckham could lead exodus - Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes the sale of David Beckham has signalled the beginning of the break-up of the core group of players who made Manchester United the dominant force in England over the last decade.

Beckham, together with Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt, all came through the Old Trafford ranks together and were, for so long, the heartbeat of the side.

Now Beckham has departed to Real Madrid, Wenger believes he has spotted the first chink in the United armour and he hopes to exploit it for all it is worth.

“One of the things that made Manchester great is going and with the togetherness that that group of players had, and the things they had achieved, well, it is the beginning of a break-up for that group. For me, it was a surprise,” Wenger told Eurosport.

The Frenchman also thought United had not got the best price for the England captain, although he admitted Alex Ferguson was likely to use the money to bring in some top-class replacements.

“The personal problems [between Beckham and Ferguson] certainly lowered the fee,” he said.

“But Manchester have the means to buy big. Even if Beckham had stayed they could have afforded to buy big, so with Beckham going, Manchester will lead the way in England now.”