Arsenal
have taken the exceptionally rare step of denying tabloid rumours
that Juventus have first refusal on winger Freddie Ljungberg.
The club's usual stance is to remain silent on any such press reports,
but they have taken particular offence to a newspaper article published
on Wednesday.
The story claimed
that the Gunners had guaranteed the Italian giants first option
to speak to the talented Swede if they ever decided to sell him,
as part of the deal which brought Fabian Carini to Highbury.
But a statement issued on the club's website countered: "While
Arsenal Football Club is not in the habit of commenting on transfer
speculation, it finds suggestions this morning that the club is
ready to offload Freddie Ljungberg, one of our key players, as a
figment of the journalist's imagination.
"There is not one ounce of truth in the article and it is misleading
to its readers."
The report also claimed Manchester United were keen to poach Carini
from under Arsene Wenger's nose, so the Gunners boss was thought
to have offered Ljungberg as a sweetener to secure the loan signing
of the 22-year-old shot-stopper.
Ljungberg, who is still out recovering from surgery on his hip,
has been repeatedly linked with a switch to the Stadio Delle Alpi.
But Arsenal are naturally keen to avoid unwanted departures similar
to when big-name stars like Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka left
north London.
