Manchester United defender Wes Brown was left "very surprised" at the news that Mikael Silvestre had joined Arsenal, writes Craig Rodhouse.
The French defender signed a two year deal with the Gunners last night for an undisclosed fee and Brown was left shocked at the news, but could understand the 31-year-old's reasoning .
"[I'm] very surprised, I have been with Mikael basically all the time I've been in the first team squad," Brown told setantasports.com "He is a great professional and it is sad to see him go. But he has not been playing many games at the moment and he wants to play, so all the best to him."
"If he wants to go I'm sure it will be good for him, as long as he is happy with it and plays games."
"It is [rare to move from Manchester United to Arsenal], but if you are going to go anywhere why not go to a good team and I'm sure that's what Mikael will be thinking."
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BUGDUV COULD GO STRAIGHT INTO ARSENAL TEAM SAYS AGENT
TIROL, MOLDOVA (AP) THE player described as the finest young player to come out of Eastern European football since Gheorge Hagi is good enough to go straight in to the Arsenal first team, according to his agent.
Massi Bugduv, the 16-year-old hotshot of Moldovan football has been linked with a host of top clubs around Europe for most of the summer.
Bugduv was left out of his country’s friendly with Lithuania this week because of his complicated transfer negotiations that have seen him based in London since Monday with conflicting news reports having him signing for Arsenal, Chelsea, Zenit St Petersburg, and bizarrely, a move to Reading that involved a loan stint in Ireland in order to secure a work permit.
Last night in London, his agent Sergei Yulikov said that he is sure that the demands of the Premiership will not phase his protege.
“I have no doubt that he has the ability of Fabregas and Nasri, but he needs a stage to perform and prove this. He can be as strong as Obi Mikel of Chelsea, but remember that he is still just a 16 year old boy.
“I cannot talk about the talks with Arsenal, but Masal is happy that he is even being linked with this great football club.
“It plays football the beautiful way, always moving, always passing, always running. It is like the football he played as a child, which is not too long ago, so he cannot believe that this type of football can be played at the top level in Europe,” he said.
Mr Yulikov was seen leaving Highbury House yesterday, the offices of Arsenal near the Emirates Stadium where twenty four hours previously, the club revealed Man Utd player Mikhael Silvestre as their latest summer signing.
Masal Bugduv has been described as one of the most exciting young footballers to come out of Moldocan football.
Born on April 14, 1992, he shot to fame playing for his native FC Olimpia B?l?i for whom he scored a hattrick on his competitive debut in an Adzi Cup match in December 2007.
Bagduv became the youngest player capped at that level by his country and he went on to make his senior international debut aged just 16 years and 44 days when he came on for the national team in their 2-2 draw with Armenia in a friendly international in Tiraspol on May 28.
Trailing 2-1 with just ten minutes left, Moldova seemed set to lose until Bagduv lost his marker on the left wing, shimmied inside two defenders and fired in a shot that could only be parried by Armenian keeper Racif into the path of onrushing Igor Bugaev who equalised. (AP)