Gunners Warned Over Julio

More on the Baptista story. From Skysports.com....

Arsenal's opening gambit for Julio Baptista has been rebuffed by Sevilla.

Gunners chief Arsene Wenger has trained his sights on the free-scoring Brazilian and lodged a bid believed to be in the region of £6 million in order to beat off competition from Premiership rivals Manchester United to the striker's signature.

Sevilla, though, have warned Wenger that he will have to up the ante if he is to lure one of La Liga's hottest properties to Highbury.

"The offer does not match our valuation of the player," Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido is quoted as saying in the Daily Star.

Del Nido is aware of the player's desire to move to England and is happy to strike a deal with Arsenal, having sold Jose Reyes to The Gunners in January 2004.

"We have very good relations with Arsenal after the Reyes transfer," added Del Nido.