I won’t follow Ronaldo and Kaka to Madrid, says Clichy
ARSENAL defender Gael Clichy insists he has no desire to leave the silverware-starved Gunners and join Real Madrid’s new legion of superstars.
Extravagant Real shelled out £140m on AC Milan playmaker Kaka and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo last week, and are said to want Clichy next.
But the French full-back says he is committed to the club that signed him from AS Cannes as a teenager, despite being flattered by the link to the Spanish giants.
“I heard there is an interest from Real Madrid,” said the 23-year-old. “But I have a contract with Arsenal, which I intend to respect unless the club say otherwise. It is great to be linked with Real, but I want to win things with Arsenal.”
Clichy has established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice left-back since Ashley Cole moved to Chelsea in August 2006. His form has earned him two caps for France and a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, which he signed last year.
Real president Florentino Perez has embarked on a policy of lavish spending on the world’s finest talent since being re-elected earlier this month.
Kaka was the first to arrive for £56m last Monday, with an £80m deal for Ronaldo announced on Thursday. Further deals for Valencia striker David Villa and Liverpool pair Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa are also said to be in the pipeline.
Real defender Christoph Metzelder, meanwhile, has criticised their big-spending policy. He said: “Spending £80m on someone who can get injured or be in a bad form isn’t correct to me, especially during this period.”