Arsene Wenger has no intention of going public and "destabilising" players like Real Madrid have done with Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo as he continues his search for fresh faces to add to the Arsenal squad.
The Gunners are in Austria for their pre-season training camp and will play the first of three overseas friendlies, just over the border against Hungarian side Szombathelyi Haladas, tomorrow night.
The squad will return home for the Emirates Cup on August 2-3 when Real Madrid will be one of the teams coming to north London.
By then, Wenger could well have landed the "experienced" man he has targeted to bolster a squad which has lost Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini and veteran Brazilian Gilberto.
One target is said to be Aston Villa's unsettled captain Gareth Barry, although at £18million his price tag may well prove too high, while Miguel Veloso of Sporting Lisbon is another reported to be on Wenger's radar.
However, the Arsenal manager will, as always, conduct his negotiations in private and feels all top sides should lead by example.
"If you don't show respect to other clubs I think that football is moving in the wrong way," Wenger told the August edition of the official Arsenal magazine.
"You cannot come out like [president Ramon] Calderon has done at Real Madrid with Manchester United and tell them you cannot stop a player from leaving.
"You can destabilise any player in the world - that is irresponsible."
Wenger added: "These are big clubs that should be setting an example to others.
"I believe that football now is at the stage where it has become a world sport and the big clubs should have values and vision and set an example.
"If we do not do that in football, then we do not understand the responsibilities that we have."
Arsenal opened their pre-season schedule with a 2-1 win at Barnet on Saturday, when new signing Aaron Ramsey, the Wales Under-21 midfielder, got his first run-out.
Fellow summer arrival Samir Nasri - signed from Marseille for a reported £12million fee - has joined the remainder of the squad on the flight to Austria, although Cesc Fabregas will enjoy a few more days of rest following his exploits at Euro 2008 with winners Spain.
Just what reception striker Emmanuel Adebayor will receive from any travelling Gunners fans remains to be seen, though.
The Togo international has been linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium all summer, and sent out mixed messages over his future when given the opportunity to set the record straight.
However, with main suitors AC Milan having now landed Ronaldinho in a £17million deal, Adebayor looks to have little option but to eat a large slice of humble pie and get back to business with the Gunners.
Wenger remains "very confident" Adebayor - who netted 30 goals last season - will remain with the club.
Barcelona are another club said to be interested in acquiring his services, although not at Arsenal's £35million valuation.
One player only too happy to be pulling on an Arsenal shirt again is defender Bacary Sagna.
The right-back, who impressed in his debut campaign, faced Barnet and played his first 45 minutes since being sidelined by an ankle injury suffered against Chelsea in March.
Sagna does not want to rush his return, but still feels he should make the opening game of the new Barclays Premier League season against newly-promoted West Brom on August 16.
"I feel better now and I hope that I can feel better and better with every new game," said the Frenchman.
"The last couple of weeks have been hard because it is the first time since my injury that I have been in training."
Sagna told the club's official website, www.arsenal.com: "I needed to find my performance level again and be prepared to give more than I have before.
"I do think, though, that I will be fit for the start of the season.
"I want to focus on my own game, perform for Arsenal and see what the season brings. Hopefully it will be some cups."
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Comment 1 - 15 of 15
Wenger is trying, but we sometimes need football stars to make an experienced game play.
Arsenal are the best in the world
Arsenal has always bein a good team.They defined d word FOOTBALL.nice skills & passes to make d game more attractive to watch.the fact that trouphies r nt here now doesnt mean they wuldnt come.just WATCHOUT 4 d young gunners this comin season
In reply to the comments of XS earlier, may I humbly submit a few of my own.. Apart from Arsenal, Everton are the longest serving club in the top flight of the Football league. Both clubs HAVE been relegated. Everton were relegated at the end of the 1950-1951 season, and promoted again at the end of the 1953-1954 season. Arsenal were relegated at the end of the 1912-1913 season winning only 3 games all season. They were elected into the 1st Division at the expense of our good friends at Tottenham thanks to the splendid efforts of Henry Norris. At the AGM 1919 the vote was 18-8 in favour of Arsenal over Tottenham who were bottom in the last season before WW1. May I admit to being a biased Arsenal fan. One thing not mentioned was that we play more attractive football that anyone else and they know it. Better luck this season.
Arsenal has always bein a good team.They defined d word FOOTBALL.nice skills & passes to make d game more attractive to watch.the fact that trouphies r nt here now doesnt mean they wuldnt come.just WATCHOUT 4 d young gunners this comin season
arsenal is the team. !@#% you all who say stupid things with no basis whatsoever. wenger leads by example. and besides you can never separate the club from the fans or the players. you can not hate the fans but the like the club. its you who is a !@&%ing retard realmadridfanass
Real Madrid have about as much class as 50 cent - bling bling money wasters. Arsene actually talking sense, he does love football even if he isnt the most enigmatic of characters. I want a return to the good old days of public slanging matches between him and fergie. As for being an unsuccessful club - they might not have won in Europe, but they have led for 80 mins in the final, won the domestic double more than once and never been relegated (only them and Everton hold this honour) so do a bit of research next time before you slag them off. And I don't even like them, so don't have a go saying I'm a biased Arsenal fan
lol and half of them wud get iinjured :p
All you haters out there:suck my murthaFuck?! di! ,yeah,n we stll smokin.
Arsenal honestly think they r in the same class as Real Madrid or Man U. I mean even a single European trophy never won. Ur players are running for the hill its like there was an outbreak of SARS or something at the Emirates. I dont hate arsenal but i hate their fan coz they think they belong to Europes elite and they dont. Simple science u cannot structure a club around young boys who have no experience and expect them to win for a title.When Man U won the treble Becks, Butts, Scholes were all young kbut there was still some experince in the squad to instill disciple just like the squad they have now. Wenger needs to buy Eto'o to make up for Eduardo and Adebayours misses and a few midfiled players otherwise same story every season loose all cups in one week
By the time the season ends, Arsenal will be raising a middle finger to all the doubters, one for being number one, two...well it's obvious. Zing.
at least he dont play fkin stupid mind games like ferguson!
You two are fu***** retards
agree!! lol
By the time the season starts Arsenal will have only 15 players, all will leave hahaha
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