Gilberto set to quit Arsenal after 'losing everything' - Sport - Evening Standard
       

Gilberto set to quit Arsenal after 'losing everything'

Gilberto is questioning his Arsenal future after being overlooked for the captaincy in the summer and losing his place in the side.

Sources close to the Brazil World Cup winner say "he lost everything in three weeks" in a development that could force his departure from the club.

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Back in the ranks - and unhappy: Gilberto may leave Arsenal

Gilberto returned to the starting XI for the first time in seven weeks on Wednesday as Arsenal's second string beat Sheffield United 3-0 and manager Arsene Wenger said afterwards that he still considers the 31-year-old a "key player."

Despite the possibility of him being drafted into a new-look midfield for tomorrow's home clash with Manchester United, Gilberto remains unsettled and was today linked with Juventus.

A close friend told Standard Sport: "If Gilberto is still on the bench he might have to consider his future. He will see how things are in January then he will see how things are at the end of the season.

"If the situation is still like this in a few weeks maybe he will go to Arsene and see what the boss's plans are for him. He wants to know if he still considers him part of the long-term future at Arsenal."

Gilberto has been the biggest casualty of the astonishing progress of Wenger's young team.

After missing the first three weeks of the season because of the Copa America, Gilberto has been unable to displace Mathieu Flamini in midfield.

To add to his woe, he was surprisingly overlooked by Wenger for the captaincy in favour of William Gallas despite being Thierry Henry's understudy last season.

The double snub has been even harder to swallow because it came after arguably the most productive of his five seasons at Arsenal with 11 goals.

"He lost everything in three weeks — the captaincy and his place in the team," the friend told the London Evening Standard.

"He is not the kind of person to cause problems but it is very difficult to understand."

Valencia are also interested but it is understood that there have no official inquiries yet.

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