Yesterday, Bolton reportedly gave Arsenal 10 days (now 9) to decide whether or not they want to sign England centre-back Gary Cahill.
With the recent departure of Gael Clichy to City, Arsenal are in need of a new world class defender. Though Cahill is not a left-back, which is now the gap that has been left by Clichy, many see Vermaelen, who has played in this role for Ajax on a number of occasions in the past, filling the hole.
Bolton have become extremely frustrated with Arsenal’s failure to match their valuation for Cahill, despite both clubs holding talks about the 25-year-old making a possible move down to north London.
As usual, the Gunners are reluctant to meet Cahill’s £17 million release clause and are confident they will sign him for £15 million.
Arsenal have offered youngsters such as Carlos Vela, Henri Lansbury and Ignasi Miquel as part of the deal, but Bolton would prefer hard cash instead.
A source close to the negotiations told Goal.com:
‘Bolton want the deal done as soon as possible so they have plenty of time to make preparations for the new season without Cahill and formulate their transfer strategy.’
‘All Bolton want is to have it all sorted out by the end of next week and if it isn’t, then they might close the door on any deal until the next window.’
‘Cahill has told friends that he wants to move to Arsenal and test himself on the European stage in the Champions League, and is now playing a waiting game while the two clubs agree a transfer.’
Tottenham have already pulled out of the race, although Bolton are hopeful that Manchester City and Chelsea won’t stop bidding with formal offers to hike up the price.
Arsenal are unlikely to want to start a bidding war with the two biggest spenders in the Premier League, who will undoubtedly be able to offer deals that are more financially attractive.
Bolton boss Owen Coyle went on record earlier this week, in a bid to flush out interest from the Premier League big guns, saying the lack of a ‘concrete bid’ was disruptive.
‘It certainly doesn’t help the kid or me as a manager.’
‘We have a top class player in our ranks. It’s frustrating for him and for everyone. I don’t want to lose him but if there was the right thing there for him, the sooner it happens the better for Gary and everyone.’
I truly hope that the Gunners do sign Cahill despite being told that they have a time limit in which to do so.
Wenger should spend some of the cash he acquired from the sale of Clichy and agree on the £17 million price tag so that we can concentrate on our other summer targets.
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Sign Him I really don’t know what the problem is at the moment Gervinho deal still drags on nobody is any the wiser about Nasri or Fabregas.
SIGN SOME PLAYERS because at the speed we do business it will be May again before we get any new players
Sign him? Do me a favour! Wenger will wait till he’s on a bosman, 30+ and declining, and then say he spotted him as a youth and would turn into a big player! Yeah, big player with another club for his best years!!! Boycott the games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think this guy is a perfect signing for us. along with Samba for a combined 27million.
my transfers for this season are as follows.
Clichy – 7million to City
Denilson – Lyon player-ex
Bendtner – Lyon player-ex
Fabregas – Barcelona – 40million
Arshavin – Galatasaray 15 million
Vela – 7million to anyone (probably spain)
total = 69million
ins:
Cissoko – Lyon – player exchange + 15 million for him and Gourcouf
Gourcouf – Lyon
Cahill and Samba – 27million
Hazard – 20million
Oxlade – 10 million
Gervinho – 12million
Benzema – 25million
total = 109million
so total spend is 40million
we get two centre backs
replace Fabregas with Gourcouf
replace Clichy with Cissoko
replace Arshavin with Hazard
replace Vela with Gervinho
and bring in two more player in Benzema and Oxlade
as our budget is 45-50million. i would spend the rest of the money on Scott Parker to add some steal to the team
very good but will never happen.
1) I agree we need both cahill and samba, but le prof might just buy one after all the trouble we had in the recent past.
2) hazard and gervinho both from Lille at same transfer window, too good to be true.
3) Benzema for 25 mil, you really think prof will spend 25mil on one player? He will immediately slide into coma
Here we go again, Arsene is faffing about while Arsenal is burning. Lost Argie midfielder to Inter and I hear Mata will soon be playing for Spuds and Bolton are fed up with waiting while Samba is dying to come to us only if wenger can make his mind. Oxlade Chamberlain has not been sorted hence his manager saying to either put up or shut up. Now Lloris sayshe does’nt want to go to a club under instability.
Absolutely scandal. Whats going on with our club?
So true, so true – Our club, in my opinion anyway, is in a right mess – will get worse if/when Fabregas and Nasri leave as well
A deadline. Quite right. All this faffing about. Most Arsenal fans want Wenger to have deadline too !
What’s going on at this club is that you have a Board mainly full of elderly gentlemen public school boys … who mainly know jack xxxx about football. Wenger has proved to be financially anorexic and may well be terrified by his own past blunderings in the transfer market. What’s going on is that the club is near to going down the tubes !
A.w man stil liks alea.
Just luk at dis! Wenger dnt wants 2 spend d money but wants 2 make profits. Bring in cahil 4 jst £17m he refused but wants 2 sell bendtner 4 £12m & also wants 2 buy john o’shea 4 £7m. Pls my fellow gunnerates dis dosn’t sounds so funny in all ramification.
Wenger, Please buy otherwise a chellenge a head.
Wenger seemed more like a businessman than a manager when it comes to buying players.