Valencia forced in Mustafi sale?
The Mustafi to Arsenal deal is starting to drag on just like all the other rumours that have been flying around the club this summer. One minute the deal is on, the next it’s off and back and forth. It’s got to the point that Arsenal fans do not know what to expect next on the transfer front, but Valencia’s latest comments today may well suggest that Arsenal could soon get their man.
The Valencia director of football Garcia Pitarch told the media: ‘We’re above the FFP guidelines, that’s the reality, and as of today, the four players we’ve signed cannot be registered, meaning we need to reduce the cost in a significant manner to register the players and sign a centre-back, which is a priority in case one of the ones at our club leaves. Obviously, if they don’t leave, we can’t sign a new one not only because of financial restrictions, but also because it wouldn’t be logical to have five or six centre-backs. We need to continue with a reduced budget, but if there’s an exit, we need a new centre-back.’
To summarise, Valencia need to balance their books before the transfer window closes because currently they don’t stand in a good place when it comes down to financial fair play. Despite being unwilling towards Arsenal’s previous efforts for Mustafi, understandably given that Arsene Wenger is trying to get one of their star players on the cheap, it seems that they have now become resigned to losing him. Their comments about having to find a new centre back, once they lose one of their key players from the back, seems to suggest that Mustafi may be closer to joining Arsenal sooner rather than later.
Mustafi was also rumoured to be training alone away from the first team earlier in the week, not long after it was announced by Sky Sources and the BBC that Arsenal had supposedly agreed personal terms with the player.
The Gunners had supposedly put an initial bid of around £20 million for the German international centre back, but that was rejected outright with Valencia insisting on a fee of at least £30 million. It now seems however that the Spanish side are willing to lower to price tag, after it became clear that Mustafi may be looking for a move away and given that they need to balance their financial books. It is currently understood that a fee is still yet to be agreed.
Are Arsenal any closer to signing Mustafi? The comments today for Valencia seem to suggest so!
AH