Wenger: Agents Can Be Positive

In a time when football agents are at the centre of scandal and corruption, there doesn't appear to be anyone with a good view of these people who just seem to be out to make a quick buck, but as usual, Arsene Wenger prefers to look to the positive rather than the negative.

Wenger, however, is not naive and he knows there are many bad eggs in this particular basket, but he feels the ones who are honest and tell the truth can actually have a positive influence on a players career.

'There are good agents. They can have a positive influence on the career of a player by telling them the truth, by managing their finances well.

'Then some of them are just interested in making quick money and are the bad ones.

'But time always selects the good ones and the bad ones.'

Wenger continued: 'At Arsenal, we have pre-elected agents. We try to get a fixed scouting system and when we have a scout comes and checks the players 10 times and says he is good, then we start to look at the agent.

'At a big club you can afford a big scouting system, at a small club sometimes the agent can help a club to discover players.'

As if to prove Wenger point, Theo Walcott's agent recently revealed that the young forward was offered a lucrative deal with Chelsea that would have been financially better for all parties involved, yet everyone in the Walcott camp knew his career would benefit more in the long run under the guidnace of Arsene Wenger.

Theo's agent, Colin Gordon said, "We sat down with Theo and his family and told them straight — 'If Theo doesn`t finish with 75 to 100 caps and a trophy cabinet full of medals we will have failed`.

"The money is a by-product of all that. If it embarrasses you, get used to it because it will come`.

"It`s well known Chelsea wanted Theo badly and the deal with them would have been more lucrative for everyone.'

"But we knew Theo`s career path would be best served by going to Arsene Wenger. '

"We chose Arsenal because I`ve never met a more genuine and decent man than Arsene. We got well paid — we`re not a bloody charity — but there would have been more money at Chelsea."

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