When is a contract not a contract?

Arsène's observations are timely and, if you're a fan of football - as opposed to one of the tiny elite who benefit from the game financially - unlikely to fill you with joy. In short, he believes that the transfer system as we know it is in meltdown and that something akin to the American 'college draft' will emerge in its place.

The introduction of a system completely devoid of transfer fees (but replete with vast salary packages) will not only erode player loyalty further, but also deprive lower division teams of income that is vital to their survival. The up-side? Unless you're one of those collecting your wages by transit van, there isn't an up-side.

Is Le Boss right to conclude that the disappearance of traditional contracts will bring chaos to the game, on and off the pitch? Or will there always be players who provide some stability, by valuing club loyalty above financial gain? If quotes recently attributed to Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor are anything to go by, there is evidence for both viewpoints.

On the one hand, you have Fabregas dedicating his European triumph to the Arsenal fans and promising to bring silverware to the Emirates; on the other you have Adebayor demanding £120,000 a week and hyping up the possibility of a move to AC Milan or Barcelona.

Where does the magical figure of £120,000 come from? Well, Adebayor (3 seasons, 46 goals and no trophies) feels that he deserves parity with Thierry Henry (8 seasons, 226 goals and numerous trophies). "I am being considered a worthy replacement for Henry while not deserving his salary," he says.

Is Adebayor really on a par with perhaps the greatest footballer ever to pull on an Arsenal shirt? For that matter, is he worth as much to the club as Fabregas? I'll let you decide.

But even if Adebayor is Thierry Henry v2.0 (and not Kanu v2.0), what of his existing obligations to the club and its supporters? Adebayor gives his contract suitably short shrift, saying: "Yes, I am still under contract to Arsenal but it's up to the directors to satisfy my demands or I'll leave. If my good form of last season has increased my value, my employers have to take account of that."

So contracts are almost worthless. It couldn't be any clearer. Adebayor is not quite as blunt when it comes to the people on the terraces, saying: "I had a dream of playing for Arsenal, and Arsenal are one of the loveliest clubs in the world. When I go back to Africa it is obvious that a lot of people love the club. But now I have a chance of playing with one of the biggest clubs in the world."

Thanks for the carefully chosen words Emmanuel, but it still feels like we're being kicked in the teeth - just with hand-stitched, gold-plated, kid leather boots.

You can read Arsène's comments in full at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/29/arsenal