Bergkamp: We can still win title

Dennis Bergkamp insists Arsenal still have the quality to the win the Barclays Premiership this season despite the loss of influential captain and midfield enforcer Patrick Vieira to Juventus.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is yet to sign a direct replacement for Vieira after missing out on Brazilian Julio Baptista, the midfielder-turned-striker, who opted for Real Madrid ahead of Highbury because he did not want to live in England.

Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas today suggested Arsenal had entered the race to sign Chelsea’s long-term target Michael Essien.

The club have refused to comment but it would take substantially more than the £13.7million they received for Vieira to steal the Ghanaian from under Jose Mourinho’s nose.

But even if Wenger decides not to splash out, Bergkamp is confident Arsenal can win the title by relying on youngsters like Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini.

“Patrick was a big, big player for us on and off the pitch. He helped to build what we have now, we shouldn’t forget that,” said Bergkamp.

“How will we cope? Well, we have won games without him in the past and we will stick together and come out of it hopefully stronger – because we have to.

“If you cannot be competitive with the money then you have to look at different things – the young players, the youth system.

“We are still a team with a lot of talent and if we can keep it together and let it grow then we can still be a good team.

“This season there is still a possibility we can be champions. We have not given the title to them already.”

Arsenal have already signed Alexander Hleb, the versatile Belarus midfielder, for £10million from Stuttgart, but he is not a like-for-like replacement for Vieira.

But then who is? Newcastle’s Jermaine Jenas has been linked with a move to Highbury and when it appeared Vieira was off to Real Madrid last summer, Michael Carrick was targeted by Wenger.

Neither player offers Vieira’s presence in the middle of the park nor offers the same leadership skills.

Wenger has turned to Thierry Henry, a quieter, almost introspective figure on the field, to captain Arsenal this season and Bergkamp believes the France striker will grow into the role.

The Dutchman told the Evening Standard: “I am sure that if you had a choice you would take a defensive midfielder or a defender as captain.

“It is totally new for Thierry. Like a lot of strikers he is busy with his own game because we have to make a difference.

“But he wants the job. He certainly has the character to combine the two.”

Wenger, meanwhile, has ruled out a bid for Michael Owen, the England striker whose position at Real Madrid has become increasingly untenable following the arrival of Baptista and Robinho to the Bernabeu.

Emphasising Bergkamp’s view that Arsenal can survive on their young emerging talent, Wenger said: “I like Michael Owen personally but I have not made any approach. I have Robin Van Persie, Jose Antonio Reyes, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Arturo Lupoli. So there are plenty of strikers. He is not a priority.”

He does have an eye out for a new goalkeeper after neither Jens Lehmann nor Manuel Almunia proved overly reliable for Arsenal last term.

Uruguayan Sebastian Viera is on the list, through Wenger stressed a deal remains some way off.

Wenger will decide on Wednesday whether to sign triallists Alexander Song, the 17-year-old midfielder, and former Barcelona centre-back Philippe Christanval.

Both players featured for Arsenal at the Amsterdam Tournament, which they won yesterday thanks to two goals from second-half substitute Freddie Ljungberg.