Cazorla wins Arsenal Player of the Month ahead of Jenkinson

Posted on October 09, 2012 by Bob

What would Arsenal have done without Santi Cazorla? The defence have been a lot better, including the role of Mikel Arteta, and the two new strikers are settling in well. All of the midfielders have played well but without Cazorla I think we would have struggled.

The Spaniard’s efforts have been rewarded with the EA Player of the Month award, making it two in a row. His performances have provided the platform for Podolski, Giroud, Gervinho and Walcott to get the goals we so desperately need. He is not frightened of a shot himself and he is a defender’s nightmare as he roams all over the pitch.

Cazorla’s stats show that his passing accuracy in West Ham’s half was 84 percent, he also had six shots at goal and scored. A little less reported is his willingness to track back and tackle, and his effectiveness when doing so.

Against the physical West Ham, the 5ft 6in Spaniard made five tackles, and won them all. He also won 8 from his 12 ground duels, according to eplindex.com.

Providing protection for the back four and Arteta and linking play with the wide players and forwards whilst running the game from the middle, no wonder Theo Walcott called him “the conductor.”

Arsenal’s most improved player Carl Jenkinson was not too far behind Cazorla in the vote, getting 21.4 percent to the Spaniard’s 29.4. It shows just how well he has played this season and how much Gooners appreciate this. Gervinho was third with 15.5 percent.

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Barcelona’s Puyol injury may give Arsenal’s Cazorla start for Spain

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Bob

Santi Cazorla has been outstanding for Arsenal since moving from La Liga side Malaga in the summer. His name was unfamiliar to many people in this country and their is a common assumption that he is struggling to get a place in the Spanish national side. Cazorla may get a rare start this week as Spain travel to Belarus for the first of two World Cup qualifiers, the second being against France.

Spain are blessed with lots of talented midfielders, many of whom have similar playing styles, such as Iniesta, Fabregas, Silva and Xavi. Cazorla could get the nod, however, with his Arsenal performances drawing interest all over the world. Cazorla has already got 48 caps for Spain and two European championship winner’s medals.

His appearances in Euro 2012 were limited to a couple of cameos against Ireland and France. He missed the World Cup in 2010 through a hernia but was heavily involved in Euro 2008.

Spain have a defensive problem due to the injury to Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique of Barcelona. One of them normally partners Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid but the coach is looking at dropping Busquets back into defence, leaving a space in midfield.

David Silva of Man City and Fabregas have not got the defensive and all round game that Cazorla has so many think he will be the man to step in. It would be well deserved for Santi, let’s just hope he does not get injured.

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Podolski and Cazorla come good for Arsenal at Anfield

Posted on September 02, 2012 by admin

A great day for Arsene Wenger’s new Arsenal team as they took all three points from a visit to Anfield. Things were hardly all one way at the start as Liverpool tried to over-run the Gunners in the first 15 minutes.

But Arsenal slowly and patiently worked their way into the game and it was a brilliant breakaway goal from Podolski that gave the Gunners the lead, although Pepe Reina really should have blocked it from that angle. But Thankyou Pepe! 1-0.

After that, it was end to end stuff with a bit of hassle from that little “censored” Luis Suarez continually trying to get Vermaelen in trouble, but Arsenal held on to the lead until half-time.

Again in the second half Liverpool probably had more of the ball than Arsenal, and certainly had more shots and corners, but it was the little magician Cazorla who snuck behind Liverpools lines with an incisive one-two with Podolski and suddenly we were 2-0 up! This time Reina was even more to blame as it came off his elbow on the floor) and into the net. Thankyou Pepe! 2-0.

Liverpool did put Arsenal under pressure right to the end of the game (Wenger even brought on Santos to replace Podolski!) but Brendan Rodgers side couldn’t find a way through and are stuck on one-point after three games. Whereas Arsenal are unbeaten and haven’t conceded a goal!

Happy Days!

I guess it has to be said that the only bad point was that Giroud fluffed his lines, but he still looked sharp enough. Once he gets one i’m sure many more will follow….

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Martin Keown convinced that Cazorla is Arsenal’s new “Jewel in the crown”

Posted on August 28, 2012 by admin

The Arsenal legend turned pundit Martin Keown is under no illusion who he thinks is Arsene Wenger’s best buy this summer. Although he thinks that Podolski and Giroud will turn out to be quality additions to the Arsenal team he is certain that Santi Cazorla will prove to be even more influential than the departed Cesc Fabregas.

Keown said: “Arsene Wenger has seen a few creative players leave in the past year but he has a new jewel in the crown in Santi Cazorla.

“The Spaniard looks a fantastic talent and his class is there for everyone to see straight away.

“He is Liam Brady and Cesc Fabregas rolled into one: he has Brady’s shooting ability and Fabregas’s vision. He’s better than Fabregas with the ball too – he moves it so quickly, which is shown by the fact he’s had more touches in the opposition half than any player so far this season.

“Watching him, it is difficult to tell sometimes if he is right or left-footed, as he is so comfortable with both.

“Straight away, Cazorla has taken on the role of lieutenant in the Arsenal midfield. He is happy to receive the ball anywhere, he’s taking all the free kicks and his vision is superb.

“Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski will know that if they make the right runs, Cazorla will find them.

“He is tough to defend against too as if you close him down, he’ll thread a ball through to the strikers and if you back off, he’ll shoot.

“What is certain is that with him in the team, Arsenal will create a lot of chances.”

Although Arsenal remain goal-less the stats show that Cazorla has already created nine chances for his team-mates in the first two games, which is excellent for a new arrival. Even Arsene Wenger admitted after the Sunderland game that ALL Arsenal’s chances came from Cazorla.

Now if only Giroud and Podolski could start to turn those chances into goals, Arsenal will be flying once again…..

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Cazorla relishing Premier test

The Spain international, who stands just 5ft 6in tall, made the move to Emirates Stadium from Malaga in a reported £15million deal this summer.

He made an immediate impression on his top-flight debut against Sunderland, creating a host of chances for his Gunners' team-mates, only to see them all spurned in a frustrating 0-0 draw.

But the former Villarreal man is enjoying the increased tempo of the game in England and is now eager to make his mark with the North London side.

"It's overstated, the idea that smaller, technical players can't do well here. We have powerful players in Spain, too," Cazorla told Arsenal Player.

"Being tall isn't what makes you a good footballer and I don't think that's the defining factor in English football at all.

"It's a great league and it's a different challenge. There's a great passion for football here and it's a wonderful place to play your football.

"My initial impressions are really good and I'm really happy to be here. Hopefully we can have a great season this year and with any luck I'll be able to help the team achieve great things.

"It's a great team, with a very important history in the English game. I know they've been interested in me for a few years and that means a lot to me. It is a good fit for me.

"Here there is a faster rhythm to the game, a higher tempo. In Spain, games are more cautious, more tactical. Here is more tempo, more to-ing and fro-ing, but I like it.

"Every day I'm becoming more used to my team mates and enjoying myself more. The club have done a lot to help me settle in the team and to make it easy for me to get used to life in the city. Every day is a little bit better and I feel a little more comfortable."

?

  Stoke v Arsenal. Click here to bet.

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Cazorla Interview – Arsenal have been after me for years (and size doesn’t matter!)

The talented Spanish midfielder Santiago Cazorla believes he will settle into playing with his Arsenal team-mates very quickly, although he admits that the pace of the game in England is a lot faster than he’s used to after playing in La Liga.

Also there were many rumours last summer saying that Arsenal were in contention with Malaga for his signature, and Cazorla admitted this was true. He said: “My initial impressions are really good and I’m really happy to be here. Hopefully we can have a great season this year and with any luck I’ll be able to help the team achieve great things.

“It’s a great team, with a very important history in the English game. I know they’ve been interested in me for a few years and that means a lot to me. It is a good fit for me.

“Here there is a faster rhythm to the game, a higher tempo. In Spain games are more cautious, more tactical. Here is more tempo, more to-ing and fro-ing, but I like it.”

“Every day I’m becoming more used to my team mates and enjoying myself more. The club have done a lot to help me settle in the team and to make it easy for me to get used to life in the city. Every day is a little bit better and I feel a little more comfortable.”

Despite a lot of English teams having big, strong players, Cazorla doesn’t think his size (5ft 6in) will have an adverse affect on playing in the Premiership. “It’s overstated,” he said. “The idea that smaller, technical players can’t do well here. We have powerful players in Spain, too.

“Being tall isn’t what makes you a good footballer and I don’t think that’s the defining factor in English football at all.

“It’s a great league and it’s a different challenge. There’s a great passion for football here and it’s a wonderful place to play your football.

Having spent most of his career playing as a winger, Cazorla also revealed that Wenger is expecting to play a more central role. He said: “That’s where the manager played me, as a second striker, with the freedom that I like to have. It’s a position I really like, not one I’ve played in much in recent years, but I will play there without problems.”

Being the same size as Lionel Messi, and having played regularly against the Argentinian and also Christiano Ronaldo, you would have thought that one of these two would be his favourite footballer that he has faced, but he has other ideas! He said: Cazorla said: “During your life you always have different players that you like. When I was a child, because my dad liked the ‘Dream Team’, I liked Michael Laudrup.

“But I have always said the best player I have played against, and the most elegant player, was Zinedine Zidane. There’s Messi and Ronaldo, but I still think being lucky enough to play against Zidane, and see him play, was amazing. He is still the best.

“He had it all as a player. He was elegant, he had quality, he was strong and he was tall. He looked like he was going to be clumsy because of his height but then you realised he was so skilful and gifted with the ball.

“I really enjoyed watching him play, it was a pleasure. I would highlight everything about him, because he had everything to be the best player.”

He has had a promising start to his Arsenal career, and perhaps we will be seeing our youngsters talking about him as their hero in the same way he talks about Zidane. Arsene Wenger obviously believes in him……

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Arsenal legend thinks Cazorla will be awesome

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Bob

Arsenal Legend Robert Pires Praises ‘Brilliant’ Cazorla by AM

Arsenal legend Robert Pires believes Santi Cazorla is at the right club to make most of his wonderful talent and the start against Sunderland was only a trailer of things to come. In an interview to the Official Arsenal Magazine, the Frenchman who played alongside Cazorla during his stint at Villarreal till 2010, said –

“Santi called me when the offer from the Club arrived and I told him that it was the perfect club for him”

“The way the team plays will suit him perfectly and he is the kind of player Arsène loves too. He is a very exciting player, very gifted technically with both feet. He has an impressive creative touch and he can play in the centre or on the wings.”

“His vision and the quality of his passing is brilliant but he can also take people on. Despite still being quite young, he has big experience with the Spanish national team and has also played in the Champions League.”

“Finally, he has a very good mentality and is a real team player. He will need a bit of time to settle but I’m convinced he will adapt very quickly and will be a great signing for Arsenal.”

If Cazorla turns out to be even close to Robert Pires himself, then the Gunners will be in for treat.

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Arsene Wenger is extremely impressed with Santi Cazorla

Wenger believes that Cazorla could be one of the buys of the season: by SV

The Premier League has finally begun and, despite the imperfect start, I’m buzzing for the new season. There have been many different opinions on the Sunderland game, with some saying that it’s the same old Arsenal, another season without silverware, and some saying that we played pretty well, bring on the title. Contrasting views to say at the least.

I won’t get into the whole debate in this particular article as I want to focus on something which I hope we can all agree was a great plus point: the performance of Santi Cazorla.

The Spaniard played excellently and slotted in perfectly into our team. His link up play with Arteta was extremely fluid, which is unsurprising really considering their relationship of the field. I was impressed with Cazorla in many other ways too. His composure for example, no matter how tight the situation, the man always managed to find an out-ball. And the passes themselves were very good as well, as he displayed a wide passing range, from the cute reverse pass to Giroud to the massive switches to Gervinho, Cazorla had it all.

Wenger was clearly equally impressed with his performance, as he had this to say: “He played very well and looks like he could be one of the buys of the season. He has everything you want in the game. He can play short, he can play long, on the right or left, he can play the final ball and works hard as well. He is a fighter so it is very positive for us.

“He settled quickly and that shows people who say you need to play a long time together. Great players do not need a long time to settle.”

Big words from Arsene. Only time will tell if he is right that Cazorla will indeed be one of the signings of the season. There is a decent chance he might be though, if you consider that Santi pulled off that performance when he was only half fit…

If you liked this article, you can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SVGunner.

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Cazorla and Gervinho bright sparks in frustrating draw

Posted on August 20, 2012 by admin

THOUGHTS ON THE SUNDERLAND GAME by AH

Well, where do we start? The game was full of negatives and positives, all of which we can take away, notify the problems and hopefully fix any issues that there may be. But overall admittedly it wasn’t the best of opening games but at least we drew and gained a point. Now of course a draw isn’t good enough and we should have done much better, we probably deserved much better from that game, but fair play to Sunderland, who defended their hearts out.

Sunderland came for a draw and that’s what they got, so they will be very happy with it, and although the result may be a disappointment for us, we must look at the positives.

It’s a new team after all, still gelling together and with even more potential signings on their way, things still look bright.
Cazorla and Gervinho had great games in my opinion, with Cazorla being the stand out player of the game.
We also didn’t concede, which is a massive boost for our defence, whom admittedly before kickoff looked rather weak, but the defence held together and defended well, with Sunderland’s only real chances coming very early on and in the dying minutes of the game.
But clearly the biggest problem was our finishing. We lacked the cutting edge with just 3 shots on target from an attempted 23 tell us the story.

Next week we face Stoke which is never an easy game, especially at the Britannia Stadium. The Potters have Dean Whitehead suspended for the game. Let’s hope that come next Monday we have 4 points on the Premier League table.

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Cazorla – Arsenal need to replace Van Persie and Song

Posted on August 20, 2012 by admin

The latest Arsenal arrival Santi Cazorla made a very impressive debut against Sunderland on Saturday and even Arsene Wenger said that every chance for the Gunners came through the ex-Malaga midfielder, but he is not happy that Arsenal have sold, arguably their two best players since his arrival and is hoping that Wenger will go some way to replacing them before the transfer window shuts.

Cazorla said: “It’s clear that Van Persie is a great player and obviously we would all have preferred it if he had stayed. Song has gone as well and there are still 10 days left in the transfer market.

“I do not know if we will sign anyone but obviously it’s important to replace players like that because they were so important for the team.

It felt really good making my debut. Of course, it was not the result any of us wanted, but we had chances and we did well.

“It’s a long season, so we can build on this. I had one chance and so did a few of my colleagues and that was the key to the game. We had complete control but that final step just eluded us.”

Perhaps if Van Persie had been on the pitch that “final step” may have been taken?

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Cazorla Officially An Arsenal Player!!!

Posted on August 07, 2012 by JG

The Wait For Santi is Over

The news has broken, Santi Cazorla is an Arsenal player. Fantastic news, and we all hope that he can live up to the massive expectations that fans seem to have for him.

Well, Arsenal sign another very reputable player, and fans seem to be craving even more signings. This is not surprising. I hope Cazorla lives up to the expectations, because the last 27 year-old attacking midfielder we signed did not last very long before burning out. I hope the same doesn’t happen in regards to Cazorla, because when it happened to Arshavin a lot of fans turned on him, slating him with booing and mal-support. If he has a rough start, or loses a bit of form, he will need positive support to regain confidence. Just a word of warning.

Very happy with this signing, Cazorla will be a great example/role model for some of the budding attacking midfielders coming up through the ranks. Wenger is a genius, let him work his magic, this season will be Arsenal’s season.

Let us know what you think

ARSENAL FOR LIFE

by JG

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Cazorla Signs & Is Our Song Off Ki With Replacements Cheikhou’d Out?

Santi Cazorla is confirmed as an Arsenal player. No matter how long drawn-out the affair might have been, you cannot be anything other than excited by his arrival, adding extra quality to the squad. I am often bemused when I read the reaction by some, complaints that he is not a Messi or Ronaldo. Who is? Aside from Messi or Ronaldo? To me there are few players in their sphere, transcending world-class. And even then I am not convinced that the latter does merit such accolades; sometimes he is, sometimes not. Perhaps he occupies the netherworld betwixt the two. Neither has dominated a tournament in the way that Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas, Pele or others such as Jairzinho or Rivelino have in years gone by.

Disparagement from suppoerters of other clubs about Cazorla’s absence from the recent Euro2012 starting line-up falter in analysing the tactics employed by Del Bosque, Cazorla probably more than most suffered from the absence of a traditional centre-forward. It also betrays their jealousy that Arsène has been busy adding to make the squad stronger whilst other managers are relatively inactive. That is understandable to some degree; Arsenal have ground to make up on the top two whilst keeping ahead of the chasing pack.

The player himself offered the expected enthusiasm on joining, admitting encouragement from Cesc and Le God Pires to join Arsenal. Presumably that was the sentence before Cesc asked if Cazorla had any Catalan DNA.

The midfield looks strong. Injuries will play their part to disrupt the campaign but there is depth in the centre of the park. Versatility is a strong selling point for the Spaniard; it benefits the squad but also allows other younger players to be developed at a less hectic pace. If Sahin arrives as well, Arsène is posing himself a series of selection headaches for which a steady supply of Ibuprofen might be needed.

But that presumes football is a perfect world. It isn’t and there are clouds overhead, some darker than others. Whilst there has been transfer activity inwards, departures cannot be ruled out. Some will be welcomed – Park, Squillaci and Bendtner for example – are professionals who should be playing regularly. It is hard to imagine how players who are regulars at international level feel when they cannot get near the starting XI for their clubs. The frustration must be immense.

Mancini’s recent admission of defeat in the pursuit of van Persie is hollow; he said similar things regarding Samir Nasri and ending up signing the player. Time will tell. Equally, the silence over Theo Walcott’s future is likely to become more uncomfortable as the days pass in the lead up to the season. It is a delicate balancing act for the winger. Stalling for longer may see his first team chances diminish as Arsène seeks a settled side. I am not suggesting the manager would cut of his nose to spite his face and drop Walcott but substandard performances will not be easily forgiven.

Walcott is beginning to show the talent he has more consistently but the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with Cazorla and Gervinho’s ability to occupy the same position are things he will be mindful of. The silence surround his future is reassuring in one sense. Beyond the initial burst of rumoured interest from Chelsea and City, there has been nothing. That suggests to me that the player wants to sign for the club and his agents are not actively pursuing other avenues with good news hopefully emerging in coming days. Either that or they are more discreet than other advisors.

Recent times have seen Alex Song become a small talking point in the Arsenal transfer reports from Italy were dismissed. This time Barcelona have started their wooing with proclamations about DNA surely not too far away. There is a huge difference between any deal over Song and Cesc; Arsenal will have more interest in the Cameroonian than a young man returning home. No short-changing this time will surely be countenanced.

The dripfeed made it into The Guardian, as a justification for signing Sahin on loan. Reasoning that Arsène is tired of the attitude is interesting; whether this is sourced from anywhere or journalistic interpretation is not clear. However, it picks up on a trend which has emerged over the last twelve months, namely that Song is not good enough. His contribution in an attacking sense is derided because of the perception that he is solely a defensive midfielder whose role is to protect the back four and that passing to van Persie can be done by anyone.

Song is not without his failings but those who accuse him of betrayal where none has actually happened need to remember one match; Fulham, 29th November 2006. His performance that night was poor but his reception was utterly over the top; the abuse, frankly, unforgivable and with hindsight, totally in keeping with a minority of the support and the reactions which continue to this day. And yet the same people have the temerity to complain about treachery? Who’s zooming who?

Sahin is not the only midfield option that Arsène is reportedly pursuing. This morning Ki Sung-yeung replaced Victor Wanayama as the Celtic midfielder of choice whilst Anderlecht’s Cheikhou Kouyat‘s agent has talked a good game, good enough for The Times’ Gary Jacobs to believe a deal is in the offing.

’til Tomorrow.

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Arsenal signing Santi Cazorla wants to end title drought for Arsene Wenger

Cazorla is a potentially pivotal signing having played a key role in Malaga’s first fourth-placed finish in La Liga last season, scoring nine goals in 38 league appearances.

The Spain international, who can play on either wing or through the middle, was a member of the squad that won the European Championships in June, as well as in 2008.

The 27 year-old spent the majority of his career at Villarreal, where he was named Spanish player of the year in 2007. After making 181 appearances for the Yellow Submarine, he moved to Malaga last season.

"I'm so happy to be joining Arsenal. This is a club with great players, a fantastic stadium and huge support," said Cazorla, who has 45 international caps.

"The club has one of the best managers in football and their style of play is recognised and admired all over the world.

"I'm so excited to be joining one of the greatest teams in Europe and to be playing in the Premier League.”

The transfer has been lauded by former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, who helped persuade his international team-mate to move to North London.

Fabregas described Cazorla as a “special player and a top guy” and the winger also spoke to other players with Premier League experience before deciding to join the Gunners.

“I have spoken to Robert Pires because he played with me at Villarreal,” said Cazorla. “Obviously he knew about the rumours of me coming here and always encouraged me to sign.

“He told me it was a very good club and I was going to enjoy London, the city and the move.

“The same with Cesc Fabregas. He said this was a big club and that I was going to be very happy here, he said I would adapt easily. And I can feel that.”

“It is clear that there are players like Silva, Mata, Torres and Reina who have been here a long time, so I also talked to them. They have told me that it is great to play in the Premier League, they told me how the games are in England.

“They say it is different to Spain and that is true. You see Spanish players doing well here and that inspires you to come over as well. They have set an example and I hope I will adapt to the league as well as they have.”

Wenger had been under mounting pressure to spend heavily to improve a squad that finished third in the Premier League last season, 19 points adrift of Manchester City and Manchester United.

Arsenal have not won a trophy since lifting the FA Cup back in 2005 and have seen their best players picked off by bigger spending rivals in recent years, most recently when Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri were poached by City last summer.

Having finished so far off the pace last season, Arsenal have moved to remedy the situation and more new faces could arrive before the close of the window.

Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin remains a target, after the 23-year-old was told he could leave Real Madrid, as does France youth international M'Baye Niang of Caen.

“Santi Cazorla is a great signing for us,” said Wenger. “He's a player who will add significant quality to our squad.

"Santi has good experience at both club and international level," Wenger said. "He's a versatile, attacking midfield player who can play comfortably on either side of the pitch or centrally. He has good pace, is technically gifted and will be a huge asset to us."

Cazorla’s arrival is likely to pave the way for Andrei Arshavin to join Galatasaray, while Wenger is also keen to offload striker Nicklas Bendtner.

Santiago Cazorla Gonzalez
Age: 27
Previous clubs: Real Oviedo, Villarreal, Recreativo, Villarreal, Malaga.
International Appearances: 45
International Goals: 6

Arsenal Ins
Lukasz Podolski – Cologne – £11m
Olivier Giroud – Montpellier - £13m
Santi Cazorla – Villarreal - £16.5m

Arsenal Out
Gavin Hoyte – Dagenham and Redbridge - Free
Manuel Almunia – Watford - Free

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Arsenal complete signing of attacking midfielder Santi Cazorla from Malaga

The 27 year-old has amassed 45 caps for Spain and was a member of the squads that won the European Championships in 2008 and this year.

"Santi Cazorla is a great signing for us. He's a player who will add significant quality to our squad," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Cazorla is reported to have cost Arsenal £16.5 million after passing a medical and agreeing a long-term contract.

Full name Santiago Cazorla Gonzalez, he was an influential figure in Malaga's fourth-place finish in La Liga last season when the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time.

"Santi has good experience at both club and international level," Wenger said. "He's a versatile, attacking midfield player who can play comfortably on either side of the pitch or centrally.

"He has good pace, is technically gifted and will be a huge asset to us."

Cazorla, the 2007 Spanish Player of the Year, joined Malaga in 2011 following two stints with Villarreal.

He made 181 appearances for the Yellow Submarine, helping them finish runners-up to Real Madrid in La Liga in 2008.

"I'm so happy to be joining Arsenal. This is a club with great players, a fantastic stadium and huge support," Cazorla said.

"The club has one of the best managers in football and their style of play is recognised and admired all over the world.

"I'm so excited to be joining one of the greatest teams in Europe and to be playing in the Premier League.

"I will do my best to help Arsenal challenge for trophies and make all the supporters happy."

Arsenal confirmed that Cazorla has already linked up with his new-team-mates after being given permission by Malaga to join their pre-season training camp in Germany.

His arrival continues an impressive summer in the transfer window from the Gunners, who had already signed strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.

Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin remains a target for Wenger, after the 23-year-old was told he could leave Real Madrid on loan, as does France youth international M'Baye Niang of Caen.

Reports over the weekend stated that Arsenal's transfer activity may have persuaded Robin van Persie to stay at Emirates Stadium, but his future remains shrouded in doubt.

To date Van Persie has refused to extend his contract, which expires next summer, with Manchester United and Juventus leading the chase after Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini admitted it is unlikely he will sign the Holland marksman.

Potentially making room for the influx of new arrivals in north London is Andrey Arshavin, who has been linked with a move to Turkish club Galatasaray.

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Arsenal near completion of latest signing Santi Cazorla

Arsenal will take on Cologne next Sunday in a friendly arranged as part of the deal which brought Lukas Podolski to the Emirates Stadium.

The club have not yet been able to formally announce the signing of Cazorla owing to complications caused by the financial plight of his current club Malaga, but the Spanish side's problems are not expected to jeopardise the completion of the deal.

The recruitment of Cazorla would be the third major piece of transfer business completed by Arsenal in the close season, with Podolski and Montpellier forward Olivier Giroud also coming in.

They have also been heavily linked with Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, with Real boss Jose Mourinho saying the player can leave the Bernabeu.

Cazorla was part of Spain's victorious Euro 2012 squad, but only featured for 16 minutes during the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

He was Malaga's flagship signing of last summer but the club are experiencing severe financial difficulties and look set to offload a number of big names before the new Primera Division campaign begins.

Meanwhile, Arsenal striker Benik Afobe has joined Bolton on a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old England youth international is set for a second spell playing in the npower Championship, having ended the last campaign on loan at Reading and helping them win promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

A short statement said: "Everyone at the club wishes Benik well for his time with Bolton."

Afobe follows Jack Wilshere and Ryo Miyaichi in going on loan from the north London club to Bolton.

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Cazorla signing confirmed by many sources

This signing does seem to be taking a while, doesn’t it? Confirmation of Cazorla’s move to Arsenal is yet to be made official, however there are some reports from reputable sources stating that it is done.
The first is from the official FIFA site:
Rondon becomes the second Malaga player to leave in the last two days after Arsenal completed the signing of the Spanish international midfielder Santiago Cazorla.
Two Malaga players, Maresca and Julio Baptista, have both said goodbye to Cazorla. The former said (from the Independent):
He [Pellegrini] is fundamental for us, just as Cazorla and Rondon were fundamental and have had to be sold. It is not an easy situation for us and I think we are showing we can put ourselves above these things.
The latter said (via Twitter), that he will miss his teammates Cazorla and Rondon.
LadyArse posted that the Cazorla announcement is likely to come next week due to problems regarding the ownership at Malaga, which is slowing down the final stages of the transfer. Given that Arsenal likes to do things by the book, it seems they will not announce the signing until everything has been wrapped up.
Finally, a Malaga sports journalist thinks the announcement will be made tomorrow, before the squad travels to Germany for the friendly against Koln. Arsenal’s squad will fly tomorrow, so the confirmation will be made so that Cazorla can go with the team.
The FIFA announcement is obviously the one that carries the most weight. But it is the sheer number of reports that the deal is done which should calm the minds of any Gooners thinking the transfer is in jeopardy.

Cazorla nears Gunners switch

The Malaga playmaker could complete his move to the Emirates Stadium in the next 48 hours.

The Gunners are likely to get the player slightly cheaper than Malaga would wish, due to the financial turmoil at the Estadio La Rosaleda.

Cazorla joined Malaga just 12 months ago for 19m euros, and his performances helped the team to fourth spot in La Liga and a Champions League qualifying spot.

Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini is looking for an increase on that outlay, but the club have admitted since they are embarking on some "internal financial restructuring".

"To sell him for 20m euros would be to give him away - I do not believe the club would do that," Pellegrini said last week.

?

All this suspense and "the Spanish media claim" stuff is killing me! I'd love to see him at Arsenal but there were similar reports last year on Mata being 'a done deal' and we know how that one turned out. I can see the deal falling through and AW saying "not to worry, we've got Ryo back so that's like a new signing".

- diabolicaldiaby

  Transfer Specials. Click here to bet.

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Gunners closing in on Cazorla

The Spain midfielder is in London finalising his move and it is understood he will be part of the Gunners squad which travels to Germany for a training camp next week if, as expected, the deal is formally completed by then.

Arsenal will take on Cologne next Sunday in a friendly arranged as part of the deal which brought Lukas Podolski to the Emirates Stadium.

The club have not yet been able to formally announce the signing of Cazorla owing to complications caused by the financial plight of his current club Malaga, but the Spanish side's problems are not expected to jeopardise the completion of the deal.

The recruitment of Cazorla would be the third major piece of transfer business completed by Arsenal in the close season, with Podolski and Montpellier forward Olivier Giroud also coming in.

They have also been heavily linked with Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, with Real boss Jose Mourinho saying the player can leave the Bernabeu.

Cazorla was part of Spain's victorious Euro 2012 squad, but only featured for 16 minutes during the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

He was Malaga's flagship signing of last summer but the club are experiencing severe financial difficulties and look set to offload a number of big names before the new Primera Division campaign begins.

?

  Transfer Specials. Click here to bet.

View the original article here

Cazorla’s signing and RVP’s possible rethink places a strong Arsenal in the title challenge

Don’t get me wrong Cazorla is a major signing for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. It sends out the message that Arsenal and Wenger mean business this season. And this is for two reasons.

Firstly, the total transfer outlay so far is about 40m, and still counting. This is far, far more than any other season in the last seven barren years.

Secondly all the transfers involve players who are far more mature both in terms of age and experience in difficult competitive leagues. Podolski is 27 and a Germany international, Giroud is 25 and a France international and Cazorla 27 and a Spain international.

They are all quality players and worthy of first team selection. And they are all added to a squad who as yet has not lost anyone of note. If RVP does eventually leave this summer then the three new comers do add up to a net addition to an already strong squad.

Consider the squad as it stands now:

Goalkeepers: Szczęsny, Fabianski, Mannone

Right Backs: Sagna, Jenkinson, , Koscienly (if needed), Coquelin, Yennaris

Left Backs: Gibbs, Santos, (we are rather short of cover here if both get injured)

Central Defenders: Vermaelen, Koscienly, Mertesacker, Djourou

Central Midfilders: Song, Diaby, Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey, Coquelin, Frimpong, Wilshere,

Wide Midfielders: Walcott, Gervinho, Podolski, Arshavin, The Ox, Cazorla

Strikers: RVP (if he stays), Giroud, Chamakh, Bendtner (if he stays)

It seems that if RVP leaves the strikers position would prove to be an area where we may me short. Chamakh is not up to it and Bendtner wants out which leaves us with only Giroud.

Nevertheless the squad is far far stronger than in recent years.

And I boldly can predict that IF RVP has  a rethink  stays then we can  lift the title this coming season…..

Santi Cazorla confirmed at last!

Posted on August 03, 2012 by admin

This is definitely lining up to be one of the best Arsenal transfer windows ever with Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and now Santi Cazorla already confirmed as Arsenal players and still with one month to go of the transfer window!

Although (as usual!) there is no official announcement on Arsenal.com it has been confirmed by the respected Guardian newspaper as well as the player himself. The latest article in the Gueadian says: Santi Cazorla has undergone his medical at Arsenal and the club are poised to announce his £16m signing from Málaga, which they hope will be followed by the loan of Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin. Cazorla stands to travel with the Arsenal squad on their training excursion to Germany next week and make his debut in the friendly against FC Köln.

They also say that the Spaniard has signed a four year contract which will probably bring him to the end of his career.

At least Cazorla would appear ready to play right now, which may not be the case with the other two signings yet, and the newest Arsenal player has made it clear as day on his official Twitter account. He said: I’m new @Arsenal player. Ya puedo decir que soy jugador del @Arsenal .

Three down two to go! Bring on Sahin and M’Vila!

Tags: Arsenal Player, Cazorla, confirmed, Sahin
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