Striker Set To Snub Arsenal To Sign 3-Year Deal At Tottenham

Despite the summer transfer window being closed there is still plenty of gossip in the newspapers, so we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest transfer news. Today, are Spurs set to beat Arsenal to the signing of Ciprian Marica?

Tottenham are set to beat north London rivals Arsenal to the signing of free agent Ciprian Marica with the striker expected to sign a three-year contract at White Hart Lane, according to the Mirror.

The 27-year-old was released by German club Schalke at the end of last season when his contract expired and he’s been looking for a new club ever since, with a whole host of clubs throughout Europe linked in recent months.

Among the interested parties are Premier League duo Arsenal and Tottenham and his agent, Ioan Becali,  claimed last month that the striker was close to a move to the Emirates Stadium:

“He is close to Arsenal. We’ll see this week.”

“Marica is a very good striker, a Romanian international and very experienced in western European football.

“It is normal that he is targeted by big clubs, all the more so after he has completed his contract with Schalke.”

[source: Express]

The player then revealed last Thursday that he was in negotiations with three clubs and he’d make his decision over who his next team would be by the end of this week:

“I am in negotiations with three teams.

“I hope I will be able to tell you the name of my next team by the end of next week.” Marica is quoted as saying by Sky Sports

However, despite Arsenal supposedly being in the driving seat, the Mirror claim that big-spending Spurs have now edged ahead of their rivals and Andre Villas-Boas is set to continue the dramatic overhaul of his squad by signing the striker this week.

The newspaper suggests that Marica – who has scored 22 goals in 64 caps for Romania – is expected to sign a three-year deal worth £60,000-a-week at White Hart Lane and his arrival will spark the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor in January.

The Togo international has been frozen our by AVB this season and is currently training with the reserves but if the Marica deal collapses at the last minute, the report claims chairman Daniel Levy will put pressure on his manager to bring the £100,000-a-week outcast back into the first team fold.

Missing out on Marica will be a blow to Arsene Wenger though as Olivier Giroud is currently the only fit senior striker available to the Gunners boss. While the north Londoners are coping admirably – and currently sit top of the Premier League – having another striker to lighten the load on Giroud would be a huge boost heading into a busy period of fixtures.

But it looks  like they’ve missed out – if the Mirror’s report is accurate – and Marica is set to become Tottenham’s eight new signing.

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Will Spurs fans be excited if they sign Marica? Will Arsenal fans be sad to miss out? Share your views below.