Aleksander Hleb has penned a 4 year contract with Barcelona after Arsenal let the wantaway midfielder leave on a cut price deal. The Bielorussian international had been expected to stay after Arsene Wenger put his foot down and ruled out the sale of the playmaker but has since backtracked after Hleb reiterated his desire to push for silverware at Barca. The transfer will recoup the majority of the £12m fee Arsenal paid VFB Stuttgart in 2005 as they have agreed a £11.9m initial fee which could rise to £15m if the player achieves his dream of winning trophies at the Camp Nou which he hopes he can do:

“I love this club! I spoke with Guardiola and it’s good to know that he wants me. I will give my best to this team and I want to win everything with Barca.”

With Samir Nasri already recruited as a natural heir to Hlebs midfield berth, Wenger will now turn his attention to replacing the gap in the centre of his midfield after the departure of Mathieu Flamini to Milan and Gilberto Silva’s impending move to Panathinaikos.

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