Reports over the weekend claimed the Catalan side have been in negotiations with the Cameroon international over personal terms and with those agreed they will now be turning to Arsenal to try and agree a fee. Their first bid is likely to be rejected by The Gunners who already value Song at over £15million – the maximum price Barcelona are likely to offer for the 24-year-old. However, Barcelona-based newspaper El Mundo Deportivo reports today that the Catalan side have lodged their first bid with the Gunners for Song and the paper suggests that a final figure of 18-20million euro (£14-15.7million) will eventually be agreed by the two clubs, once negotiations are done.
Barcelona are looking to replace Seydou Keita who left for China earlier this summer and coach Tito Vilanova put Song at the top of his wish-list after failing to land Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao. The Basque side insisted that anyone wishing to bid for Martinez would have to pay the full value of the release clause in his contract – 40million euro (£31.5million) – a figure which Barca flatly refused to accept. Liverpool’s Daniel Agger has also been mooted as a possibility although the Anfield side’s valuation of over £20million quickly saw Barca’s interest come to an end.
El Mundo Deportivo also claims that Arsenal will offer Song a new deal which will see him pick up around £75,000 a week.
It was reported late last week that Arsenal would demand Barcelona winger Cristian Tello as part of the deal and that is still a possibility. The 20-year-old hasn’t been given a shirt number by Barca for the new season which suggests either a season with the B team in Spain’s second division, or a departure either in a permanent deal or on loan. Liverpool are said to be interested and reports from Spain this morning claims there is also interest from Dutch champions Ajax. Tello could certainly be the makeweight in any deal as Arsene Wenger is a fan. The youngster is a product of Barcelona’s youth system and broke into the first team last season.
News of a bid for Rennes defensive midfielder Yann M’Vila from an un-named English club set the rumour mill working over the weekend. M’Vila has long been linked with Arsenal so two-and-two were put together to suggest al bid from the Gunners for the France international as a replacement for Song. However, reports suggest the un-named club are actually Spurs who have bid just over £10million for the 21-year-old. Arsenal had a bid of over £17million turned down by Rennes for M’Vila last summer but with the French season already under way Rennes may be prepared to accept a lower price.
