Barcelona new boy Alexander Hleb is predicting a 'difficult time' for his former club Arsenal ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
The Belarus international completed his protracted move to the Camp Nou last week for a fee reported to be in the region of €15million (£11.9million).
Hleb joined The Gunners from Stuttgart in 2005 but grew unsettled in north London during the latter stages of his time at Emirates Stadium.
The 27-year-old, currently with his Barca team-mates on their pre-season tour in Scotland, hailed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Wednesday, stressing the key role he plays in driving the club forward.
And Hleb has now warned the club that they face testing times when Wenger leaves his post in the future.
"Wenger is everything to Arsenal," he told The Daily Telegraph, "The future for Arsenal, if Wenger stays, is that they will always play at the top.
"But of course it is difficult now because Arsenal have a few political differences. When he leaves, I think this is a difficult time coming for Arsenal."
Hleb also said it would be 'fantastic' if he were joined at Barcelona by Cesc Fabregas and the reportedly unsettled Emmanuel Adebayor, while he also questioned Arsenal's policy over sales.
"These are fantastic players, Adebayor and Cesc," Hleb continued. "Every team would like to keep these players. For me it would be fantastic if they came to Barcelona.
"Those players would bring good energy and power to this club. For Barcelona, it would be fantastic, and for me personally as well, if they leave.
He added: "Sometimes I think that Arsenal do not want to keep this team, not give something more."


One_ricky_Villa (Tottenham Hotspur) : "...Instead of us all spending the days following an England match moaning and complaining about the performances and English football in general why dont people talk about what can be done to improve it? We get the Arsenal ..." view full comment
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Your Comments
Red_Devil07 (Manchester United fan)
"Moneill - I totally agree with you its like football has become one big soap opera and all the footballers are thriving on attention by the media and showing no loyalty whats so ever, You look back on the likes of Henry who is still an arsenal supporter and whenever there playing you will always see Henry "gunning" for them I suppose with footballers like Hleb they lack respect of where they came and how they got there would barcelona have approached hleb if he was still playing at stuggart? Doubt it!"
frikkih (Arsenal fan)
"Sorry arse Hleb. Already regreting his stupid move. Thanks for nothing, these are stupid comments."
dubzgooner (Arsenal fan)
"scarecrow face is a fool. we will see how long the barca fans will put up with his complete and utter lack of end product. I predict he will have boils the size of his golfclub feet on his arse come christmas from sitting on the bench for so long...good riddance to an "attacking" player who scored eleven goals in a three season career as a gooner. good riddance.. "
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