Invisiblewall.net: Gilberto Silva News

Gilberto hints at his future

This morning The Daily Mail and The Mirror are both reporting the following Gilberto quote:

I’m not sure whether I will resign when my contract runs out in 18 months. I know there has been interest from Valencia and Juventus. We will see but I still have an ambition to win the Champions League.

We made the most important signing of the summer – the gaffer.

Obviously being the crappy newspapers that they are, the Mirror and the Mail are both saying this is a “BLAST” from Gilberto. However, if we look back to a few seasons ago, we are reminded that Gilberto has always said that he anticipates leaving Arsenal in 2009. So this news really isn’t as shocking as we are led to believe. It will be sad to see Gilberto leave when he does, but that doesn’t mean he’s snubbing the club or anything. He has a personal plan, as does every player.

Also, the Mirror says that Gilberto has previously stated that he will see out his football career at the gunners – implying that he is now going back on his word because of the buyout situation at board level. This is not so. Let me clarify that Gilberto has only ever said that he ‘would like’ to play for the gunners as long as he can, however, he has ALWAYS expressed a desire to continue playing football after his career at Arsenal is over.

ALSO – this story is somewhat presumptious in assuming that Gilberto will even be offered a new contract once his current one runs out. He will be 34 when his current one finishes, meaning that Arsene Wenger may not even wish to keep him. (If you know how Arsene Wenger does contract negociations, this will not come as a surprise to you.) I obviously hope that Wenger will want to keep Gilberto – but the story in the papers is spun as if to suggest Gilberto is ‘breaking away’ from Arsenal – when this isn’t really the truth.

Just thought I’d clear that up.

Here are the two news sources which report this:

The Mirror and The Mail