Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wrote to Real Madrid and Barcelona to warn them off his star players. The Spanish giants are both admirers of Cesc Fabregas, who began his career at Barcelona, and have hinted they would want to sign the midfielder.
Arsenal have no intention of selling Fabregas, 22, who has emerged as a world star under the tutelage of Wenger in the Barclays Premier League, and are unhappy with the tactics of Real and Barca in going public with their interest.
Wenger said: "We wrote them a letter. We do not say that Messi and Kaka will sign next week here. If one day we want to sell a player and they are interested they can call us. They don't need to go through a newspaper.
"[I wrote the letter] a long time ago to say we are not ready to sell any of our players. I don't remember when but they did not write back.
"In Spain you have to understand it is a bit different. The chairmen are elected by the fans so you have to make a campaign: if you elect me, I come with him, him and him.
"But they have never spoken to the guys, not to the clubs, most of them, and it's just part of the speculation."