Arsenal
Cazorla Agrees Terms As Arsenal Close In On €20m Deal
Spain winger Santi Cazorla has told Arsenal he wants to join them as manager Arsene Wenger tries to negotiate a knock-down €20m deal with troubled Malaga.
With the summer transfer window in full swing, Football Talk will be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest transfer news throughout the summer. Today, Arsenal close in on Santi Cazorla.
Spain winger Santi Cazorla appears to be closing in on a move to Arsenal.
The Guardian report claims that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is desperate to land his long-term target and is hoping a €20m (£15.6m) deal can be agreed with Malaga this week.
Negotiations are on-going between the two clubs, with the Spaniards thought to be holding out for the full €45m buy-out clause that inserted into the players contract, but with the club facing the threat of relegation due to their worrying financial situation, they may be forced to sell at a knock down price.
Cazorla wants out of Malaga after only just one season following his €19m move from Villarreal last summer, after the club failed to live up to promises he was made and he’s still waiting on several weeks worth of wages.
The Guardian claim Cazorla has already held talks with Arsenal and told them he is keen to move to the Emirates this summer, while the Daily Mail suggest that personal terms have already been agreed with the player, but the complicated financial situation at Malaga means the future is uncertain.
Malaga have huge debts that must be cleared by 31st July 2012 or they face the threat of being relegated to Second Division B and lose their UEFA licence to play in the champions league. Owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani could easily afford to pay-off the debts but so far no more cash has been injected into the club, so the sale of prized asset Cazorla would give the club a quick way of paying off the outstanding debts.
Cazorla is one of four players who threatened to make a formal complaint against Malaga during a meeting with the Spanish players’ union on 13 July due to unpaid wages. Villarreal also claim Malaga still owe them €3.5m from the sale of Cazorla last summer, while the Spanish tax man is demanding almost €7m, so Wenger is hoping a €20m offer for the 27-year-old will be enough to persuade Malaga into a quick sale to settle their worrying financial situation.
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The Gunners could face competition from north London rivals Tottenham for the players signature, with the Express claiming that Spurs are also ready to table a sizeable offer and are prepared to double Cazorla’s €2.5m-a-year salary.
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