Gilberto has advised young stars to think twice before leaving

Gilberto, Arsenal's senior pro, has advised the club's young stars against getting itchy feet and warned them they would regret it if they left Emirates Stadium prematurely.


The 31-year-old Brazilian, who has spent six seasons at Arsenal, says he is dismayed at the prospect of Arsene Wenger's young team breaking up just when they seem on the verge of something special

Mathieu Flamini, who took Gilberto's place in the side for the majority of last season, has joined AC Milan, Alexander Hleb is in talks with Barcelona and Real Madrid, and Emmanuel Adebayor's head has been turned by interest from Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona.

"I don't know what they have in mind but they should stay a little bit longer," Gilberto said.

"Maybe they want to try something different, but they could develop themselves and achieve big things at Arsenal.

"The team is young and getting better. It could be really special if the players all stay. What is important is to keep everyone at the club, for them to stay long-term at the club.

"I haven't spoken to them since the end of the season but in my opinion Arsenal is still a great, great club and fantastic for any player in the world.

"It's a gamble when you move to another club. Everything is different. You don't know how things work. You don't know how the team plays. You don't even know if you will play.

"It would be a good thing for them to stay at the club because they know each other very well. They have a better situation than last season and could use the feeling of disappointment as an inspiration for next season."

Flamini joined AC Milan on a more lucrative contract than Arsenal could offer and Hleb and Adebayor would also expect considerable salary hikes if they moved to the Continent.

Robin van Persie has been publicly critical of the club's strict wage structure, comments which angered senior director Danny Fiszman, who says Chelsea are the only British club who pay better significantly wages than Arsenal.

"When you win things you achieve more than anybody else. It follows that you get better contracts and more money," says Gilberto.

"I cannot blame them if they have a good contract at another club but I still believe if they stay at the club and have a good season they could do a lot for the club and themselves. Then try new things.

"Most of the players who leave miss the club for lots of reasons. The lifestyle at Arsenal is fantastic. You get so well looked after."

Gilberto recognises that it could be difficult for Arsenal to hang on to their star names if they go a fourth consecutive season without silverware.

"Next season will be very important for the club and the players," said the midfielder.

"They must win something to keep the ambition of everybody and to maintain the hope of every player.

"If we don’t win anything next year it will be difficult to keep everybody happy. If you don't see any possibility of winning the title they will change their minds."

Gilberto, who is expected to feature in the Brazil team that plays World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Argentina next week, is still undecided about his own Arsenal future after losing his regular starting place last season.

He said: "I do want to stay. It depends when I come back if Arsene wants me to stay. I still have one year left on my contract. I'm happy to stay at the club. I will wait until I return to London and pre-season training on 21 July and then I will sit down and talk about it."