It looks like a two horse race for Gilberto’s signature as Arsenal stand to gain

By 1970’s Gooner

It looked all done and dusted only a day ago with both Ken Friar and Gilberto saying that as long as the financial side of things was sorted out with Panathinaikos they will agree to the tranfer.

As indeed first revealed on this site a few days ago, long before the national tabloids (and others) finally picked up on the story, Gilberto’s agent, Base Soccer Agency, met today with the Panathinaikos president, Nikos Pateras and Director, Kostas Antoniou to discuss Gilberto’s personal terms.

Panathinaikos was ready to go all the way to get their man especially when Ken Friar said that Arsenal were in agreement about the transfer as long as Gilberto was happy.

They put on the table their offer which was as large as Gilberto had wanted. He demanded that he receive the same wages as at Arsenal (£2m per year) and a three year contract.

However when they left the meeting they were all tight lipped about the issue only to emerge later that another club was likely to enter the race.

Panathinaikos coach Henk Ten Cate’s ex club, Ajax of Amsterdam is reported eager to bid for Gilberto.

They are reported in the Dutch press as ready to not only meet the player’s demands but double what Panathinaikos is willing to pay Arsenal by the way of transfer fee.

Various transfer fees have been mentioned in Greece which put Panathinaikos’s offer between £1m and £2m.

Arsenal are not likely to turn away an extra million (at least) and the player himself may consider Ajax's offer, if it materialises, seriously.


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