Santi Cazorla

[SA Gunner]

Its goal I know, but they linking us to him yet again.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/07/24/2588058/arsenal-deal-for-villarreals-santi-cazorla-depends-on" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/pre ... depends-on</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Arsenal’s interest in Villarreal midfielder Santi Cazorla is real, but the move depends on Juventus’ move for his club colleague Giuseppe Rossi, Goal.com can reveal.

Gunners boss Arsène Wenger is resigned to losing club captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona this summer and is in the market for a creative midfielder to replace the Catalan.

Arsenal had targeted Valencia’s Juan Mata, but the Spain star appears in no rush to leave the Mestalla outfit and that has seen Wenger switch his attentions to Cazorla, a player he has long admired.

Wenger’s men edged out Villarreal in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2006 and also got the better of the Yellow Submarine in the last eight of the same competition three years later.

Curiously, Cazorla didn’t appear in any of those matches, but Arsenal have closely monitored the player’s development and recently enquired as to his availability.

Arsenal had suspected that a deal with another club may already have been done, but were told that the player hadn’t agreed to join anyone else and a bid from the north London outfit was encouraged.

Cazorla is also attracting signifcant interest from Malaga, but Villarreal are reluctant to sell to another side in Spain, especially because the Andalusian outfit are likely to represent a direct rival in the race for Champions League football next season.

Villarreal fans would also be loath to lose their star player and symbol [Cazorla came through the youth system at El Madrigal and is hugely popular within the club and with supporters] to a domestic competitor and – currently, at least – smaller side.

Malaga’s €20 million [£17.6m] bid for the midfielder was therefore rejected this week, with the Andalusians told that they would need to up that figure by a further 50 per cent to meet the player’s €30m [£26.4m] release clause and secure the signature of the Spain star.

Privately, Villarreal accept that Cazorla’s value is some way short of that figure, but the Spanish side are in a strong bargaining position and nobody at the club wants to see the player leave.

A possible departure, therefore, could depend on team-mate Giuseppe Rossi, who is attracting strong interest from Juventus.

Villarreal will sell either Rossi or Cazorla this summer, with the Italy striker the most likely to leave the Yellow Submarine at this stage.

Initial interest from Barcelona in the New Jersey-born forward fizzled out, however, and Juventus now look to be leading the chase for the frontman.

If that move goes ahead, Cazorla is unlikely to leave El Madrigal this summer, but should Rossi remain in Vila-Real, his team-mate is expected to move on – and Arsenal will be in pole position.

Liverpool have also been touted as a possible destination for the midfielder, but the player’s preference is the north London club and Villarreal will be happy to do business with the Gunners, with whom they maintain strong relations since the deals to bring Robert Pires and Pascal Cygan to Spain.

The Gunners would have to match Malaga’s offer of €3m [£2.6m] per year in wages for the midfielder, who made the Spain squad for Euro 2008 but was cut from the provisional party ahead of last summer’s World Cup following an injury-ravaged 2009-10 campaign.

However, Wenger’s side could capture the player for €25m [£22m] [the lowest bid Villarreal will consider] or perhaps slightly less if an Arsenal player moves in the opposite direction.

Villarreal had been keen to sign the Gunners’ Brazilian midfielder Denilson, but the player has returned to his homeland to join Sao Paulo on loan for a single season.

Nevertheless, several other Arsenal fringe stars could interest coach Juan Carlos Garrido and make a move mutually beneficial.

Indeed, the Spanish side had hoped to negotiate such a deal with Barcelona, with Rossi moving to Camp Nou and Bojan Krkic travelling in the other direction, before the Catalans’ switched their attentions to Chile’s Alexis Sanchez.

Cazorla has just returned to Europe from China, having travelled to Asia with several other members of the Villarreal squad [including Nilmar and Marcos Senna] to shoot a spot with the club’s kit manufacturer.

The midfielder, who scored five goals in 37 league appearances for Villarreal last term, could feature in Sunday’s friendly against Wolfsburg in Germany, having met up with his team-mates on Saturday.

Cazorla signed a new contract with Villarreal in 2008, after the club turned down a €16m [£14.1m] bid from Real Madrid, and is tied to the Spanish side until 2014.

Talks between the player, his agent [former Madrid utility player Julio Llorente] and Villarreal will take place this week, with the club hoping for a quick resolution in order to finalise their plans for the coming season.

Two footed, pacey and of course versatile. Could play both the attacking mid and wide option for us.

Id prefer him to Mata, with us keeping Nasri. Thoughts?

 

[Lord Dula]

Quality player. Cash in on nasri get this lad.

 

[Clarkey]

I thought the common assumption was he was already heading to Malaga, That all fallen through?

Edit: I should really learn to read. I blame Twitter.

 

[Ding Dong]

It's in The Metro as well. Not that that makes it any more believable.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/870186-arsenal-to-rival-malaga-for-santi-cazorla-transfer#ixzz1SxBqdcuc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/870186-ars ... z1SxBqdcuc</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Spain international is the kind of creative player Arsène Wenger would be keen to add to his squad if he loses either Samir Nasri or Cesc Fabregas.
Santi Cazorla is an Arsenal transfer target

Reports in the Spanish press suggest the Gunners have made contact with Villarreal about the 26-year-old.

But Arsenal will have to act quickly to seal a deal, as super-rich Malaga have already made a £17.5 million offer for Cazorla.

Villarreal are resigned to losing the player this summer, but value him at closer to £25 million and are hoping Arsenal's interest will result in a bidding war that pushes the price up.

The Gunners should have a better idea of whether they need to recruit Cazorla by the end of the weekend.

Barcelona have reportedly sent vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu to London to make a final offer of £33.5 million for Fabregas.

Wenger is seeking £40 million for his captain, but the Spanish champions have made it clear they have no intention of matching that valuation.

I think the key parts of this story are "super-rich Malaga have already made a £17.5 million offer" & "Arsenal's interest will result in a bidding war that pushes the price up"

Everyone should know by now Arsenal don't do bidding wars. A clever agent would just say super-rich Citeh are interested, like every other f*cker does.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

Cazorla and Mata in, Nasri out.


Thanks.

 

[truth_hurts]

Cesc, Nasri, Arshavin, Gervinho, Ramsey, Wilshere, Theo, 20m transfer fee. 8 reasons why this transfer will not happen. Normally the 8th on the list is enough.

 

[eye4goal]

Cazorla is a brilliant footballer. He is extremely light-weight though(166cm). He reminds me of the old Rosicky. Another one I expect we may move for is Marvin Martin of Sochaux

 

[Bossa]

Cazorla and Mata in, Nasri out.


Thanks.

That would be an overkill. Mata is enough for me.

 

[There is light]

Cazorla is a brilliant footballer. He is extremely light-weight though(166cm). He reminds me of the old Rosicky. Another one I expect we may move for is Marvin Martin of Sochaux

Martin's a great shout and wenger is a big fan of him as well, always has his head up, brilliant vision, ideal for a team like us. I want a like for like replacement though, mata/martin/cazorla for nasri and a natural midfield playmaker for cesc.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

Cazorla and Mata in, Nasri out.


Thanks.

That would be an overkill. Mata is enough for me.

I know, I'm crying out for one.
Some decadence is needed.

 

[fabo]

If Malaga failed with a 17.5m bid, then we definitely won't be getting him.

Cazorla is quality.

 

[Clrnc]

Don't rate Carzola. He after his injury is more of a central player than winger.

 

[Big Poppa]

Not being funny but do you guys seriously rate Cazorla that high? I think he's on Diego Capel's level, and certainly nowhere near as good as Mata. He's okay, but I don't see him as an improvement on what we already have.

 

[tactica442]

Only watched the YT highlights. It's rare to see a player as genuine two-footed like Cazorla. He can time and place perfect weight on passing with either foot. He looks like a Turkish toughnut for me.

 

[fabo]

Not being funny but do you guys seriously rate Cazorla that high? I think he's on Diego Capel's level, and certainly nowhere near as good as Mata. He's okay, but I don't see him as an improvement on what we already have.

Mata is more in line with what we need but still, I think you're doing Cazorla a huge disservice with the Capel statement. He's far better in my view.

Anyway, this one is not gonna happen imo.

 

[AFCG7]

Cazorla's on the wane now , he wont be any use to us.

 

[Hunta]

He's already 26 and hasn't done anything of note. I do think he could become a very good player, but he's not as good as Mata for example and would probably cost more. I also remember him being injured quite a lot but i'm not sure if that was a one off, but he was missing for a large spell during the 09/10 season.

 

[eye4goal]

They are different though. Mata is a forward whilst Cazorla is a CM/AM.

 

[SA Gunner]

They are different though. Mata is a forward whilst Cazorla is a CM/AM.

Yes, and this is what I like about him, good ability on the ball but more importantly being quick and decisive, which would fit nicely with runners Walcott, Gervinho and perhaps Miyachi. Moving into his best years I feel despite his injury and of course a major upgrade on Rosicky while complimenting and not at all killing Ramsey and Wilshere.

But yeah, not gonna happen.. thats for sure.

 

[viper_001]

He's an experienced world class midfielder who plays for the Spanish NT, and only 26 years old. It makes too much sense to get him, but to be honest it's just too good to be true.