Barcelona have been dealt a blow in their alleged pursuit of hugely impressive Arsenal man Aleksandr Hleb (various).

The La Liga side have done their utmost to unsettle the Belarus midfielder as well as other Gunners stars, primarily Cesc Fabregas, but it seems that comments from 26-year-old Hleb's agent have cooled the speculation, which is refreshing as player representatives are generally better known for pushing such speculation for all it’s worth in order to get their percentage of the move.

Agent Niki Spilevski said: "I can understand why Barcelona would be interested in Alex. But he loves life at Arsenal. He feels he is at the best club in the world. He has the ideal manager; he loves his team-mates and loves London. Why would he want to leave?"

'The La Liga side have done their utmost to unsettle the Belarus midfielder as well as other Arsenal stars'


By common consensus, Hleb has been one of this season's most improved players after an average showing last year. He has now become an integral part of the Emirates side and his vision, touch and flair have become a joy to watch. So back off, Barca!