Arsenal ready to accept HUGE transfer bid for Cazorla?

Arsene Wenger no longer has to sell one or more of the better players in the Arsenal squad every summer in order to balance the books. The finances are a lot healthier for the Frenchman now his continued feat of getting the Gunners into the Champions League has helped the club to pay off the debts.

But with the owner Stan Kroenke still unwilling to put up any of his own cash, Arsenal are still a long way off the spending power of clubs like Man City and Chelsea, so Wenger still has to be careful how he utilises his resources and that is why he might have to accept a transfer bid for Santi Cazorla, as long as the Spanish La Liga club Atletico Madrid make it a very big one.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Diego Simeone is still chasing the signature of our Spanish midfielder with the silky skills, after failing to land him in recent transfer windows. And as they look set to lose their own creative midfielder Arda Turan, the paper reckons that they are preparing a sizable offer for our 30-year old.

It might sound crazy for me to say that Wenger would sell but I have my reasons. His age for one thing and I think he is about to enter the final year of his contract. And then you have the fact that Arsenal are pretty strong in the midfield area. We have Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta, Rosicky, the Ox and then young players like Zelalem, Crowley and Bielik trying to break through.

Maybe Wenger would feel that the transfer fee we got for Cazorla would be of better use in other areas. What do you think?

Tags Atletico Madrid Wenger

44 Comments

    1. Not suggesting the rumor is true, but the people that run the club aren’t like you….they don’t let their emotions blind what equates to ‘good business’.

      At 30 years old if Arsenal get a “huge offer”, let’s say 22-25mil then Cazorla will be sold and we will re-invest in someone younger.

      1. if we sell him i don’t think the money will be re-invested,Wenger will just promote some1 from the youth team.Obviously it would be a mistake tho.imo Cazorla is our most creative player an one of the most consistently good in the big matches,he offers something that can’t be quantified in statistics which is why i think hes our most important creative spark.

    2. I would have no problem with santi leaving as long as we get someone like Vidal or pogba

  1. When i seen the headline i thought there was going to be some breaking news from a respected source, i dont know why but i did.

    Wheres that fella that says he trained with the Arsenal youth team and says he hears good information and even gave some over the years before coming on here with his real name. Not too bright it would seem.

    1. His name is Nick Jennings, and other than arrogantly stating he “knows more” than me or any other fan because he “used to play at the club and still has contacts”….

      ..he’s provided exactly nothing on what could be going on this window. He’s maybe the most out-of-the-know ITK person going.

  2. I think this is the reason for Vidal transfer push…Vidal wasn’t meant to be a DM but a replacement for Cazorla.Same place on the pitch(next to DM), strong technically gifted,great vision and long range passing,the plus for Vidal being the speed,aerial play,physical presence.DM is going to come from a different direction,watch…

    1. Or it was just the metro thinking ‘Hmm, well Alexis is Chilean, so is Vidal – Vidal to Arsenal will be my story today’ and then the Arsenal Twitter world got carried away with it to the extent people actually started to believe it would happen.

    2. What if told you vidal is a DM by trait and has been pushed in center midfield because of a certain pirlo.

      1. I would say you haven’t watched him play much. He attacks quite a bit. He is a very solid all around player that can get stuck in when needed, but I think his natural position is as a CM, B2B type. He could play DM if needed, and I think he is more disciplined than Ramsey or Wilshere there and certainly has more pace than Arteta, but I just don’t see it as his natural position.

        However, I think he and Ramsey, with Vidal playing a bit deeper of the two could be a good balance. Play with Vidal and Coquelin when we need more defense.

        All speculation of course as I don’t think we will get him. Perhaps if Santi is sold, but otherwise no. I especially don’t see Vidal leaving if Pogba goes.

        1. More disciplined than Ramsey …lol …. The guy is on a different footballing planet ….. Carzola is the best two footed player in the EPL would not sell but would consider a swap deal involving griezman throwing in Campbell and cash ..doubt it wld happen but athletico bought Vietto so u never know

  3. Cazorla although
    he is good has never
    been world class.
    May be in mediocre Arsenal
    he looks classy but so many of the squad
    are so bang average that it’s easy to look good.
    Cazorla is 30 and wants to finish in Spain.
    The time is right.Take the money 25 mill now.
    Wilshere (injury prone) 40 mill to City.
    Chamberlain injury prone/over rated 30 mill to Chelsea.
    We have enough midfield cover for Cazorla
    with Ramsey Ozil Sanchez Walcott.
    Chamberlain and Wilshere contributed so little
    over the past 3 years we would not miss them.
    Zelalem and Jon Toral for Wilshere.
    Gnabry and Mailtland Niles for Chamberlain
    We get all these players for a tenth of
    the salaries and they are all home grown.
    Diaby and Ryo (finally) have gone.
    Podolski is going Flamini when we get another DM.
    Keep the momentum going.
    Buy Vidal and we are ready to go.

    1. ‘Good’. Man has 73 caps for Spain in their golden generation of world class midfielders. As for Arsenal’s midfield being mediocre? Compared to who? As far as I’m concerned our midfield can stand toe-to-toe with any in the league.

      1. I used to think that, but we have been dominated too many times in the midfield in the last few years. A little pressure and we just can’t keep any effective possession.

        Still think we have as much talent there as anyone, but either composure or tactics is an issue as the better teams in the league and in Europe tend to dominate our midfield.

  4. We should keep Cazorla. I would prefer to sell Rosicky, Arteta and Flamini. Give opportunity to Toral, Ox and Zelalem in midfield and sign a big strong CDM.

    1. I’d keep Rosicky, Arteta, or maybe both. Great veterans off the bench, and they seem willing to stick around on lesser roles (though perhaps not as lesser as Rosicky saw last season when he was healthy for the run-in and didn’t sniff the field).

      I’d like to see the young guys get some time, but you know their only real chance is in cup games. Ox WILL play a fair amount if he is healthy, as he has the last couple years.

  5. Cazorla is a major part of our team cohesion. A major cog in the machine so to speak. Selling him would have a huge detrimental effect on our team. Some people would say ‘oh we can go and buy vidal instead’ or whatever, but Vidal would take time to settle in to our team and learn how to fit in to our system. By the time he does, the title may already be gone. Cazorla is vital to us.

    Now I understand a massive fee for a 30 year old is very tempting, and we shouldn’t say no if a stupidly high offer comes along, but the money we would gain from selling him would have to outweigh the cost of losing him. That’s pretty much how every transfer works. In this case, the cost of losing him is very high – it might just mean losing the title this season.

  6. you said “age” is the reason he could be sold, my question is “rosicky”, “flamini”, “arteta” ?????

    1. Those three wouldn’t fetch 10 quid between them mate who are you kidding? We’re talking here of genuine interest from Atletico who are known to have a decent amount of cash laying about from player sales. Cazorla could fetch 25mil which is very handy for a 30 year old CM in the Prem.

      1. We dont need to sell anyone now. We are stronger financially. We just need to add 2 more top players and we will compete for BPL and UCL. We need to sell average players to make space for new signings like Arteta, Rosicky, Flamini, Campbell, Ospina and Sanogo. Poldi is gone so I hope others go too. We need Cazorla because the only other playmaker we have is Ozil. What if Ozil gets injured ? we have to play Wilshere or Ramsey in the CAM role.

        1. You’re missing the point, we wouldn’t sell Cazorla because we “needed” to. Selling him would be done on our terms, which means a large offer for a player whose re-sale value plummets these next couple of seasons.

          If you think Arsenal are now the type to turn away 25mil for a 30 year old you’re very much mistaken. It’s what all self sustaining clubs do to……sustain.

          How many years does Santi have in the middle of the pitch in the premier league given his age? 2 dominant ones? Well if Atletico turn up with enough money Arsenal will take it and go buy someone younger, cheaper with room to grow and turn a profit. That’s modern football business. You get 25 now, buy for 15, cover your on-the-pitch needs for the next 5/6 years then turn a profit and restart the process. Your version lets Santi go for 8-10 mil in a couple of years, then we have to pay an excess for a player of potential rather than pocket the difference from a high sale.

          1. You’re also missing the point. Santi is a big figure at our club. Notice how he is often the one in photoshoots etc. it’s because he’s an ambassador, and a very good one at that. £25M might seem good at first glance for a 30 year old, but you make it sound like it’s an easy job to just replace him. £15m for a player who has 5/6 seasons in him? Name me one candidate who you would replace him. He is a popular figure among fans and the club players, and whilst letting a players value decrease may not seem financially beneficial in the short term, it may reap other benefits in the long term. Also, a replacement is not certain to fit into the team straight away. £25m for a proven star? Doesn’t sound like a HUGE bid to me… if we’re talking in the range of £35m+ then yes, I’d say its huge and certainly worth a look at, but I can’t see Atletico splashing that much.

            1. Thanks for giving me the rundown on Santi Cazorla, didn’t know who he was…..hear he’s spanish too right?

              25mil for a 30 year old CM in the prem is a great deal, you’re delusional to suggest 35+mil is at all feasible for Cazorla…we paid 16mil for a 27 year old with 40+ Spanish caps so how is he worth more than double that at 30? He’d be sold for 25mil were it offered up, I have no doubts about it.

              And it depends entirely what the manager would want to replace, he was bought as a CAM but now operates more in CM….so if sold do you go down the route of buying a CAM like Fekir, or a CM like Gundogan? Either way both represent potential replacements for either position, which is exactly the way Arsenal operate as a business if you care to pay attention.

              “May reap other benefits in the longterm” – such as?
              “A replacement is not certain to fit into the team straight away” – Obviously not, but it’s the evolution of the football club. You replace the older Gen with a younger Gen, Cazorla will be replaced eventually and the club as a business would benefit more from a large fee so the budget for the potential replacement can be bigger. It’s really not difficult to grasp, you’re just burying your head because he’s an important player and there’s some stigma about selling a good player.

              1. I agree with you partly, though I think it may take a bit more than 25 mil for me to budge. Selling him for 25mil is good business for his age and what we paid, and I think Arsene pulls the trigger. However, I hope he doesn’t make the call until he secures a replacement. He could sell Santi, call around lowball offers for Vidal and others and end up signing a 15 year old no one has ever heard of.

                Cazorla isn’t the kind of player we can sell without a class player coming back. But is Arsene the type to turn down such a sum for a 30 year old? Even if he has no ready made replacement? My guess is no, which worries me greatly.

                1. I don’t want to sell Cazorla, let’s get that straight. I’m just not immune to the reality that is how Arsenal operates, 25mil for Santi and he’s off….whether that bid materializes I’m dubious to say the least. I think he’s off next summer for about the same as what we paid.

              2. Three years ago I would have agreed. But the Cech signing to me really showed that Wenger feels the side is ready for the final push. Broke his policy of signing over 30’s on long-term deals and went for experience over a younger, somewhat solid option with a potential upside. For an 11 million dollar outlay and only our fourth player to be put on more than 100k a week is a stark contrast to ANY transfer he’s made in the last decade. It’s a sign of adding the final pieces with immediate success in mind, not building for the future.
                I don’t think that anyone’s disputing it would necessarily be bad business to sell him, and yes, his price is only going to decrease. But our title credentials would decrease substantially with him not in the squad.
                He isn’t just a ‘good’ player Charlie. The guy has more premier league assists than anyone since his arrival to the league while playing in three different positions!! That’s with guys like Hazard and Silva in the league who people are never too shy to praise.

                1. Never said he was just a ‘good’ player, but 25mil at 30 years old is rarely turned away. Arsenal would definitely not be the sort of club to do so.

              3. You still failed to mention a player worth £15m who would replace Santi Cazorla. £25m is a good deal if you have the time to adjust accordingly… that is not the case. We’re coming into an important season, one that is likely to define us for the remainder of this decade and you want us to sell one of the most important figures in our squad? Either you’re being so short sighted it’s funny or you’re the accountant for Kroenke waiting for a healthy 10% bonus from said sale.

                Just because we bought him for £16m at a younger age does not mean he is not worth more now. We purchased Koscielny for a megre £3.5m 5 years ago, you’re telling me you would be happy to sell him for £7m now he’s approaching 30? Get out of here. Not only have me made Santi an established Spanish regular, but you seem to have forgot the factor of inflation. What was £16m 3 years ago is not the same as it is now.

                So yes even if £25m was presented, I would not sell. I don’t know what era you’re living in where we will get an established player such as Santi for that price.

                1. You either can’t read or you’re just slow. I said depends what you want to replace cm/cam….fekir/gundogan….have another look.

                  Selling Cazorla should a big bid came is the exact opposite of shortsighted…

                  And no, at no time did I state a players value can’t increase. Jesus Christ. But you genuinely think Cazorla is worth 35+mil on the market at 30? Don’t try and school me on economics, just don’t. If you think a CM holds the same value at 27 vs 30 you’re flat out stupid, so to try and equate 16mil at 27 to 35+mil at 30 is frankly the dumbest thing I might readtoday.

                2. You have got to be trolling. Fekir or Gundogan for £15m hahahahaha. What are you actually smoking? Some of the most sought after talent in Europe… I want whatever you’re smoking lad. Try in excess of £30m. £3m a year contracts for 5 years yeah, possibly.

                  I also never said Santi was worth £35m, I said that would be considered a HUGE bid. £25M would be representative of his worth, but that doesn’t necessitate the need for his sale. CR7 is valued at €87m, if Real were willing to cash in on him at 30 for that price they would become a laughing stock globally. I know CR7 is a far more important player to them than Santi is to us, but finding his replacement would be a very difficult task, I just don’t understand the need for us to complicate our transfer window because we’re getting £5-10m extra than his face value (according to you anyway).

                  You probably one of those who genuinely thinks we’d be getting Vidal for £25m or Benzema for £18m. Get out of here with your Metro paper values lmao.

  7. All you “experts” who wanted Wenger to buy Higuain should kneel and kiss my expansive rear end.

    Santi is going nowhere; stop the nonsense.

    1. Well let’s buy Balotelli by your logic, his penalty record is brilliant so he must be a god.

      1. Always have to take it to the extreme don’t you Charlie… No, the logic is that he did absolutely bottle a couple of pivotal moments with a lot on the line.. For a player you claim to be a bona fide match-winner it wasn’t the greatest sign.

  8. Pedro Rodriguez is good player but I dont know whether we should sign him. I would be very extremely sad though if he joins Chelsea or Liverpool.

  9. Lets get Higuain…hes world class and guarantee goals….

    he only just had a bad day at the office…off day for him..

  10. NO! ! NEVER! !
    NO FK WAY….NO…NEIN. NON…NIET….JAMAIS….MAI….NOOOO9OOOO NOOOOOOO

  11. Off topic.
    I was cheering Argentina a but seeing our beloved Alexis score the winner in the penalty shoot out and take his shirt off and run towards anything screaming …made me proud

  12. I believe the word Arsene used was “astronomical”…which is the word he used when folks were talking about £50,60,70M transfer fees for particular players. AM don’t have that spending power…Santi ain’t going anywhere 🙂

  13. A club like Arsenal would seriously consider selling any player in the final year of his contract but…….

    There is absolutely nothing else about this story that gives it any credibility.

  14. santi is our engine…but if anything like £25 comes, take it and run..reasons-i don’t see Wenger giving him another contract next season hence we may as well loose him for free/or he may be offered one but as a squad player which he might opt to turn down.
    he is 30 and playing at b2b(a position that we all know Ramsey is eying and also GOOD in..lets be realistic,how can we accommodate Ramsey and cazorla in one team unless Ozil is benched-nb.ramsey is not a winger..And we cant risk benching young Ramsey-and loose him at the expense of santi.
    VERDICT.Santi is world class.if anything to do with £25+ comes,take it and buy a young decent CAM to compete with Ozil

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