Nothing like the most blatant of come and get me pleas from Jose Antonio Reyes to really get his unofficial transfer request the most publicity without actually breaching his contract but can any rightminded football fan not be disgusted by the actions of a player who so blatantly pimps themselves to another club with the season only a matter of days from starting?

Reyes has had this to say in Spanish newspaper Marca:

“I don’t know anything but the days are going by and I am not going to deny I am a little worried by the rumours.

“I know I am wanted (at Arsenal) and that the fans are behind me but I am not adapting to this life.

“I am missing Spain and I have a unique chance to come back with Real Madrid. Everyone must understand I can’t let this chance pass by. Madrid are unique.”

“The boss (Arsene Wenger) has said nothing to me and I don’t know if I will play or not,” said the former Sevilla favourite.

“I hope everything is sorted out before. It’s obvious if I play (for Arsenal) in the Champions League the signing for Madrid will become quite complicated.

“But if I have to play I will.”

Now I understand homesickness and failing to settle in a foreign country can play havoc with anyone?s mind and their professionalism but to openly court the biggest club in your homeland as being your only saviours really highlights exactly what?s on Reyes mind. He wants the big move to the most high profile of high profile clubs and he isn?t afraid to use a little mind games and the press to achieve. Player power has gone mad and when last season?s Champion?s League finallists are suffering from it on two fronts, with Ashley Cole and Reyes, maybe it?s time UEFA and FIFA looked at some way to redistribute the power in the modern game.

The clubs are being messed around, the fans are being messed around and some opportunistic young men are making a mockery of the game we all hold so dear. I don?t want to hear about the old arguments about being offered more money for a cushier job as if they are civil servants or office workers or City bankers, these guys are professional footballers and whether the European Union employment legislation views them the same as every other worker or not, football is a unique kind of industry and working environment and it needs protection, not the blanket freedom for players to hold clubs to ransom whenever they feel like it.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 4th, 2006 at 11:39 am and is filed under Arsenal. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.