Malaga midfielder Santi Cazorla has perhaps moved a little closer to a move to the Gunners with the collapse of talks to sell the La Liga side to an Albanian businessman. Taci Oil, which is owned by Rezart Taci, have been in discussions since Friday to buy Malaga but local newspaperLa Opinion de Malaga reports that Taci are now out of the bidding.
Malaga have a number of financial commitments currently going out on 1 August, some of which are tax payments to the Spanish authorities, but others are instalment payments on a number of transfers undertaken during a spending spree last summer. Villareal and Osasuna have already complained about missed tranches of money with Villareal claiming they are owed 3.5million euro from the 20million euro transfer of midfielderCazorla last summer.
It was reported yesterday that Cazorla could be sold, very quickly, to help pay off some of the instalment payments and with Taci off the scene this may be the only way Malaga have of meeting tomorrow’s commitments. Rumours in the UK have claimed that the deal could be done by Wednesday.
Arsenal offered 22million euro (£18million) for Cazorla on Friday having been rumoured to be ready to pay 20million euro (£16million) last week. Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini said that to sell Cazorla for 20million would be “to give him away,” but that appears to be what may happen if Malaga are to make tomorrow’s payments. A transfer embargo is already in place which means new players can’t come in while the club are in danger of being excluded from the Champions League and with it the 20-30million euro in participation money.
La Opinion de Malaga says that auditors at the club are having difficulty assessing the size of the club’s debts, said to be around 70million euro (£55million).
A director of Taci claimed yesterday thay the company had never intended to buy Malaga. Now, a consortium of Russian investors are said to be interested.
Meanwhile, Arsenal face competition for the signature of Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin.The Gunners have been linked with a loan move for the Turkey international but AC Milan are said to be keen on a permanent deal.
