Now we don't want to get on Robert Pires's back, before he's even worn the mighty red and white. But his comments to the Spanish press won't help win over the fans.

'I would have preferred to have played for Real Madrid,' he told Marca (apparently - we don't have an original translation) - 'but the words of Wenger gave me more security. It has been a dream for me to play for Real Madrid since I was small but I didn't want what happened to Anelka to happen to me as well.'