French feel to Highbury

THE Frenchman Arsene Wenger the new manager of Arsenal. This became clear yesterday when the Highbury club confirmed they had signed two French players, one for £4 million.

Arsenal would not have paid out so much without instructions from the new manager, and the fact that known only to aficionado of French football, tells its own tale.

Both are midfielders, Remi Garde from Wenger's old club Strasbourg, and the £4 million Patrick Vieira from AC Milan, who both signed just ahead of today's deadline for eligibility for the first three rounds of the UEFA cup.

Formal confirmation of Wenger's arrival at Arsenal is being delayed pending agreement over an early release from his contract with the Japanese club Grampus Eight, which runs out in November.

Vieira, a 20 year old defensive mid fielder is a rising star, on the fringe of the French national team and when with Cannes, the youngest captain in French football.

He was due to play in the French Olympic team, but picked up an injury.

Garde is 30 - bringing to seven the number of over 30s in the Arsenal squad -and a French international with six caps. He was out of contract with Strasbourg and joins as a free agent udder the Biruling.

Meanwhile, the first reaction to his backing came from Bruce Rioch yesterday. The sports lawyer Mel Goldberg, who has worked with Rioch, described him as very aggrieved and, very upset" by the way he had been treated.

However, he denied suggestions' that Rioch - who is expected to receive a £500,000 pay off was planning to sue the club.

Rioch was not given enough time to complete his job at Arsenal said Goldberg. "Having achieved a reasonable season and got the team playing reasonable football with a different system, he obviously needed time to get it all together.

"Arsene Wenger won't be able to get the team changed in a year and anyway may not be free until November. If that, happens a third of the season is gone, so I suspect the results won't be very good."

Goldberg threw some light on the back stage tensions that existed when he said: "Obviously in the latter days Bruce didn't get on with the board and one individual in particular." This is a reference to the Arsenal vice chairman David Dein.

Arsenal will confirm Wenger as their new manager next Tuesday, the Frenchman has hinted from his home in Japan.

Wenger's prospective move to Highbury from J-League club Grampus 8 is becoming football's worst kept secret and the former Monaco boss has told the Daily Mail. "Arsenal are right up there as one of the biggest clubs, so it would be a very big challenge for me, probably the biggest of my career.

He added: "I don't anticipate anything being made official until a statement is made by me and Grampus Eight on August 20."