"We think that he will stay with Arsenal and renew his
contract but you can never tell. When Madrid were in for him
the other season Patrick constantly asked me about life in
Spain and about Spanish football.
"He is like our lungs on the pitch and our heart in the
dressing room. He covers so much of the pitch and has an
enormous physical capacity. When we have to defend, he's
there for us - but he supports the attack too. For Arsenal
he is a fundamental player and when he is not playing, he is
one of those players whose absence you feel."