nice one wenger. i totally agree with him. that's too bad world - elitism is good for health to a large extent.

-----------------------

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has cautioned against raising the age at which young footballers can move between clubs.

The transfer ban imposed on Chelsea over their alleged poaching of Lens winger Gael Kakuta, now 18, in 2007 has prompted suggestions the system be overhauled.

"Look at the alternative. The player will be sold anyway," said Wenger.

"To whom? To agents. At what age? At 13, 14. Where will they go? Not to top-level clubs with top-level education."

“If a player goes to Man United, Chelsea or Arsenal it's all clear and he gets a good education. Fifa can come here and immediately I open the door for inspection to show them what we do and how we treat the boys. That's not the case everywhere. There are some places in Brazil where the boys do not have the same conditions or treatment we have here.

“If you have a child who's gifted at football, what is his best opportunity to develop as a player? If you have a child who's very gifted for music, you try to put him in a good music school, not in an average one. Why should that not happen in football? I've been long enough in the game to be convinced that the best must play with the best — there's no better education.

“[Cesc] Fabregas has not wasted his time here. We took advantage of a period of Barcelona that was messy, and [Lionel] Messi is a good example. Barcelona took Messi from Argentina at the age of 12, paid for his medical treatment and brought his entire family over.

“Messi is the best player in the world and a good counter-example of what Fifa is fighting against. In Barcelona he got a good education and was looked after medically. Should you forbid that?

Wenger also suggested that the influx of talent helps, rather than hinders, young English players.

"To expose your local players to top-world class players does not harm your players, it improves your players," he added.

"It respects one basic rule - the best to become better have to play better."

------------------------

if a young kid wif extraordinary talent in music is sent to the best sch for music, why not a very good young talented footballing kid who wants to pursue a better way of playing football go to man utd at age 12? or any other club wif good youth training?

let's assume this guy is english, he's very good, age 13. playing for div 2 club. suddenly top club see, wan buy. why cannot buy? u shld let the guy go and get better footballing chance. isn't it? when he get better, he will make it for england a team, and then contribute to country oso. similarly, let's sae foreign talent. frenchie tio bought by top english club. then trained well, become very good. he will oso contribute to his own country. his OWN country. while playing for the club as well. win win isn't it?

i understand. not enuff english kids to play for england isit? personally, i dun tink so. there is rather enuff english talent. defoe was from west ham acad. agbolanhor oso not bad. ben foster oso english, though not 1st team, but still good enuff for int'l. in my opinion, it's juz a mental block. sooner or later, more english young ppl will rise up on epl stage. BUT this will need all ppl to cooperate, let the best young english player go and train at the top, assuming that they will make it to top club's 1st team. a big assumption, but i tink ppl shld b optimistic.