Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has reacted angrily to reports that star midfielder Patrick Vieira has held secret talks with Real Madrid about joining them in a multi-million pound deal, possibly before the end of the season.
The French World Cup winner is said to have been offered a Stg£24million five-year deal to move to the Bernabeu.
And Hill-Wood is annoyed that the two parties appear to have met without the Highbury club's knowledge.
"From what has been coming out it seems Patrick has met Real Madrid," he told the Daily Star.
"It is very irritating when you take a lot of time and trouble to sort out lucrative deals with players and then find out it is a waste of your time."
Vieira's contract expires in 2004 but Arsenal are determined to hang onto one of their most their prized assets for as long as possible.
"There is no point in having a world-class stadium, which we will start building soon (at Ashburton Grove), and not have a world-class team to go into it," said Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.
"You don't get that by selling your best players," he told The Daily Mail.
PA