Alexander Hleb was a popular figure amongst the Emirates faithful at Arsenal. A silky footballer, with a calmness and ease on the ball, the Belarussian could pick effortlessly pick a pass better than most of his Gunners team-mates. However, was this former Stuttgart playmaker really good enough to make the step up to Europes greatest side in Barcelona, who had just won a historic treble? Eyebrows were certainly raised when the Catalans shelled out £13 million pounds for the Arsenal starlet, and titters were stifled when the ludicrous buy-out clause of £70 million was added. Hleb probably had more competition for his starting position than he would have had anywhere else in the world, so when he signed that four-year contract, most onlookers thought it was a bold and ambitious move that probably wouldnt pay off. Evidently, it seemed to only take the Belarussian eight months of wasting away on the sidelines to realise that for himself.
''I am right in the best years of my career and I do not want to spend those years on the bench. Bayern Munich is a special club, their interest in me is a delightful honour. Bayern is among the best teams in the world. - Alex Hleb, March 2009.