Arsenal & Chelsea Miss Out On £10m Dutchman

Arsenal and Chelsea look set to miss out on Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel after his agent confirmed a move to Valencia is in the pipeline.

The Premier League duo have both been linked with the Dutch international right back in recent months but it seems Valencia have won the race for his signature. Hakim Slimani, the players agent, has confirmed the clubs are in negotiations but a fee is yet to be agreed. He told Voetbal International:

“Valencia will have to reach an agreement with Ajax first.

“There’s quite a good atmosphere, though.”

Van der Wiel’s contract expires in 2013 and the La Liga outfit are believed to be willing to pay in the region of £10m for the 23-year-old. As the deal is yet to be finalised, Arsenal and Chelsea may yet try and usurp the Spaniards but Slimani feels a move to Valencia would be good for his client:

“Valencia would be a great next step in Gregory’s career.

“They really want him as their new right-back and Valencia are a big team in a superb league.”