Zinedine Zidane has revealed Real Madrid consulted him over whether they should try to sign Patrick Vieira.
“I spoke with the president (Florentino Perez) as he asked me for details on Patrick,” Zidane told his own website.
But Zidane insisted he would not have the final say on whether his French team-mate would join him at Real.
“But he (Perez) is the boss, and he will decide whether the deal must be done. I said to him, like everybody else, Vieira’s one of the best at this position.”
Meanwhile, Vieira’s Highbury colleague Dennis Bergkamp, has admitted that the midfielder is irreplaceable.
“You cannot replace such a player. I can’t name anyone in the world who is better than Patrick in that position,” Bergkamp said.
“It would be such a pity if he left. I am not sure what will happen in the future. Patrick has a good mind and knows what he wants.”
“He has been fantastic for us and he is still a player who can do that for us – you don’t want to see your best players leave.”