REPORTS: £33m Duo To Be Arsenal Players Soon

Arsenal have upped their offer for Phil Jagielka to around £15 million, while the Juan Mata deal, worth around £17.5 million – which is the 23 year-old Spaniard’s buy-out clause – is nearing completion.

Earlier in the week, I reported that Arsenal had considered and had prepared another bid for Phil Jagielka, Everton’s 28 year-old defender, after having a £12 million bid turned down last summer, and another £10  million offer rejected this summer.

Jagielka is Arsene Wenger’s known favourite target out of the three Premier League defenders who have been linked, the others including Bolton’s Gary Cahill and Blackburn’s Chris Samba. While the latter two players are marginally younger than Jagielka, Wenger is going for experience and leadership in the back line – something Arsenal fans have been pleading for in recent times.

While the prediction of The Star, as reported here two days ago, that Valencia’s Juan Mata “will sign for Arsenal in the next 24 hours” has proved to be incorrect, it is increasingly likely that the player will transfer in the coming days.

Valencia are ready, although reluctantly to sell their young star for a fee of £17.5 million and it is being reported that Arsenal have offered an amount that Valencia can accept. Valencia are not entirey enthusiastic about the move, but the technical secretary Bralui Vázquez has refused to rule out the possibility by saying:

“We have a back-up plan in case Juan leaves. That’s not just the case for Juan, though. We have a plan like that for every player. We have to be prepared if something happens.”

Mata’s arrival may help Cesc Fabregas’ case of moving to Barcelona this summer, but thanks to the news that Samir Nasri will be staying for at least one more season, Arsenal will have a strong side next season. Mata can play both on the left or in the middle, as is the same with Samir Nasri, so expect to see the two swapping positions from time to time if the deal were to materialise.

Wenger has also confirmed he want’s to get his signings finalised “sooner rather than later” and admitted he was an admirer of Juan Mata but refused to be drawn too much on Phil Jagielka, as he insisted he wanted to respect the rules and not discuss players under contract.

It is exciting timed for Arsenal, as Arsene Wenger attempts to silence his critics with some big money signings. He has already spent over £10 million on the Ivory Coast striker Gervinho, and with the news that he is closing in on the £15 million and £17.5 million signings of Jagielka and Mata respectively, things are all of a sudden looking up for Arsenal.

Submitted by DBSfootball