Arsenal closing in on Malaga midfielder

The Guardian are reporting that Arsenal are close to signing Malaga midfielder Santi Cazorla for a fee believed to be around £15.6 million.

The La Liga side are set to lose a few of their star players in this summer’s transfer window as they are on the brink of financial meltdown.

This could benefit the Gunners who are looking to strengthen their squad to make a challenge for the English Premier League title.

The Spanish club did want a much higher figure for Cazorla, who has a release clause of 40 million euro’s, however their current situation may force them to sell for lower than expected.

The 27-year-old was superb for Malaga last season, making 38 appearances in the league and scoring nine goals.

He may feel as though this is the perfect time to move to the London side. He is in the peak of his career and has the chance to prove himself in the Champions League.

If they do land the Spanish international, it will give Wenger another attacking option and may make the likely departure of captain Robin Van Persie more bearable.

The Arsenal boss has already added Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud to his squad and this could be another superb deal for him.