Arsenal open talks to sign Morgan Schneiderlin Arsenal have begun initial talks over a possible deal to sign Morgan Schneiderlin with a move for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira now seeming unlikely. The Gunners have been frequently linked with the budding French international throughout the summer and, according to reports from Goal, the club have now entered into preliminary discussions with Southampton over his transfer. Such a move would appear to signal an end to the Gunners pursuit of the aforementioned Khedira, with the same source reporting that the World Cup winners wage demands have provided too significant a hurdle to any potential agreement. Impressive fit With Arsene Wenger evidently on the lookout for an extra physical but technically adequate presence to add to his already strong midfield unit, Schneiderlin would appear to fit the bill perfectly. While the 24-year-old obviously doesnt have nearly the same sort of top-level of experience as Khedira, he has shone at Premier League level at St Marys and would obviously need no time whatsoever to adapt to the pace of English football. Schneiderlin made 33 domestic appearances during what was a hugely successful 2013/14 campaign for the Saints under Mauricio Pochettino, leading the midfield and linking seamlessly with the likes of Adam Lallana on the South Coast. Watch: The latest Arsenal transfer news Difficult transfer Successfully obtaining Schneiderlins services for a reasonable price could prove somewhat tricky for Arsenal however. As is inevitably the case for a club not widely considered as worthy of a place in the top tier of European football in terms of prestige, finances and reputation, Southamptons talented squad have been attracting advances from all angles since the climax of last season. With gifted England starlet Luke Shaw having moved to Manchester United, Lallana and Merseyside native Rickie Lambert having joined Liverpool and the likes of Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers also linked with respective exits, it stands to reason that new Saints boss Ronald Koeman will be eager to hold out for as much money as possible when it comes to any further departures. Although Goal report that Southampton currently rate Schneiderlin - who went to the 2014 World Cup as a late call-up to fill the void left by injuries to Bayern Munich superstar Franck Ribery and Lyons Clement Grenier - at £18 million, it is further suggested that Arsenals value stands at approximately £15 million. This would not seem too big a gap to bridge, although Southampton are understandably unlikely to be in the mood for negotiation or compromise just at the moment.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 12:28:46 +0000
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