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Transfers - Gossip Shop: Santa Cruz to Arsenal

Eurosport - Sat, 02 May 00:07:00 2009

As far as top managers go, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is as frugal as they come.

2008-2009 Blackburn Rovers Roque Santa Cruz - 0

After signing Andrei Arshavin for a club record £15 million in January, the general feeling was that the purse strings would be firmly pulled tight again for another few years while he groomed the latest Gunners golden generation.

However, both the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express have gone big on the story that Wenger is targeting Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz for a summer move to the Emirates.

Manchester City have long been linked with a move for the Paraguayan, but if The Independent's reports that they are focused on snaring Valencia's David Villa for £35m are correct, then Arsenal could pull off another shrewd acquisition.

There are no quotes - not even from unnamed insiders or loudmouth agents - but both papers agree that Santa Cruz could leave Rovers for a good deal less than the £18m sum that would trigger a release clause in his contract.

With Carlos Tevez headed for the Old Trafford exit door bound for who-knows-where, Alex Ferguson will turn to Lyon's Karim Benzema as his replacement.

The striker has become something of a talisman for Lyon over the past few seasons, and is possibly the biggest star in the French league - although that's an accolade akin to being the best alpine skier in Fiji.

According to The Sun, United boss Ferguson sent his brother Martin to see Benzema play last week, which may not be the best time. Far from being in the form that saw him score six goals in eight Champions League appearances earlier in the season, Benzema has netted just four times in Ligue 1 since the turn of the year, something which has contributed to seven-times champions Lyon sliding down into third in the league.

The 21-year-old has in the past vowed to stay at Lyon until he's helped them win the Champions League, but with Lyon missing out on a place in next year's competition a real possibility, United are primed to steal him away.

Across Manchester, Real Madrid defender Fabio Cannavaro claims to have turned down a move to Manchester City. The 35-year-old said that he would rather return to Juventus than move to Eastlands or Bayern Munich, in order to keep his chances of featuring in next year's World Cup as high as possible.

"There will be the World Cup next year and I want to stay relaxed," Cannavaro told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Real Madrid told me I would have to wait until after the presidential election (to find out about a new contract) and advised me to look around. But I have asked my agent to see if he can find a solution.

"I didn't want to have to start from scratch with the World Cup around the corner and that's why I have turned down Manchester City and Bayern."

Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce has decided against bringing in a striker from Mexico - insert swine flu reference here - after balking at the price Santos Laguna quoted for Ecuadorean hitman Cristian Benitez.

Instead, he will turn his attentions to Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell, currently doing precisely diddly-squat on loan at Tottenham.

Talking of Tottenham, depending on who you believe Spurs will be losing their opening game of next season with either John Carew or Kenwyne Jones leading the line.

Jones's current club Sunderland are understandably having second thoughts about making Djibril Cisse's loan from Marseille a permanent deal due to the striker's dip in form.

The former Liverpool forward has hit double figures in the scoring charts this season, but has only scored twice this year as the Black Cats have slipped towards relegation.

In fact, things are so bad for the Lord of the Manor of Frodsham that he is now being kept on the bench by David Healy.

Tabloid sub-editors everywhere will be excited to hear the news that Everton are close to buying French striker Rod Fanni from Rennes. A club insider said: "Mr Moyes was here and we understand he's interested in Rod. We'll see what will happen at the end of the season."

Meanwhile, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is chasing Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia while another giant centre-back, Fulham's Brede Hangeland, is set to sign a new deal.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Comment 20 - 39 of 59

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  1. Comment 39. Disagree entirely re your comments about­ Bendtner..All the world knows how bad he is, what­ annoys us Gooners is Wenger still persists in playing­ him, if it wasn't for injuries to Key players,­ Bendtner would have been sold off a long time ago, so­ don't go on bleating about his pride in wearing the­ Arsenal Shirt. Even Newcastle wouldn't risk him.

    From esther.melvyn, on Fri 1 May 8:06PM

  2. david villa to man city WHY WOULD HE WANT TOO HE DOES­ NOT WANT TO PLAY IN TH INTERTOTO CUP

    From david, on Fri 1 May 7:36PM

  3. totaly good deal buy him an cruz and get rid a bendtner­ even in the game that he scored a hatrick any other­ striker would hav scored at least 10 more even samba or­ heskey could hav done better

    From dumgaz, on Fri 1 May 7:35PM

  4. you so called gooners should be ashamed of yourself­ atleast bendtner tries and wears the shirt with pride­ he wants to prove something he is still a young talent­ if he was as S h it as u lot say he is then he wouldnt­ be at arsenal ..just give the guy a break least he­ works the defence ..annd i thing hes comfortable in the­ RM position . people have to realise this before they­ criticise him for nothing

    From Julio, on Fri 1 May 7:31PM

  5. WHEN BENDTNER IS FINALLY KICKED OUT OF ARSENAL. HE­ SHOULD SING FROM THE ROOFTOPS.. "FREE, FREE, FREE­ AT LAST, THANK F*** I'M FREE AT LAST"

    From esther.melvyn, on Fri 1 May 7:10PM

  6. SANTA CRUZ TO ARSENAL!!!! DOES THIS SUGGEST SOME­ DEPARTURES? ASSUMING ARSENAL AGAIN WIN NOTHING THIS­ SEASON..BENDTNER WOULD BE 1ST ON MY LIST OF EXITS,­ USLESS BUM, AND I SUPPOSE ADEBAYOR, HIS BODY LANGUAGE­ OF LATE SUGGESTS HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN STAYING.­ GOONER FOR EVER...

    From esther.melvyn, on Fri 1 May 7:06PM

  7. why are we always intrested in attacking players,, we­ need a center mid and some decent defenders

    From LYNNE, on Fri 1 May 6:52PM

  8. who's going to sighn for boro

    From Wajahat, on Fri 1 May 6:51PM

  9. "Talking of Tottenham, depending on who you­ believe Spurs will be losing their opening game of next­ season with either John Carew or Kenwyne Jones leading­ the line."

    John Carew? Were does Gossip Shop get­ these rumors from? They really do need to stop smoking­ whatever they're smoking as its seriously bad­ s**t.

    He's said he's enjoying life at Villa at­ the moment and not one story has emerged to suggest­ otherwise!

    From Steve, on Fri 1 May 5:25PM

  10. Yes I am crazy... but so are you if you think berbs is­ better than benzema

    From Steve, on Fri 1 May 5:09PM

  11. Sell berba?Are you crazy?And tevez stink.

    From tzennera, on Fri 1 May 5:05PM

  12. first L, that's a rubbish comment. at 28 a striker­ has the maturity, the experience, and the touch for­ goals. henry is playing fantastic at barca. the only­ reason he left arsenal his he got tired playing with­ toddlers and listening to arsene's empty promises­ of winning next season. how many times has he said­ that: don't worry, we'll win next season.­ arsenal will always fall short, as long as they field­ toddlers to play against men.

    From go, on Fri 1 May 5:03PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sir Alex should sell Nani and Berbatov... 12mil and­ 25mil respectively (if berbs is even worth that now). ­ They should secure Tevez at 20mil (having already paid­ 10mil for his 2yr loan) and sign Benzima for 30mil.­ That would be a summer spending of 13mil... use­ what's left to pay off some debt! Our team would­ be phenominal. Utd for life!

    From Steve, on Fri 1 May 4:43PM

  14. cruz is far more better than bendtner.if bendtner had­ scored the goals that he blundered before,arsenal­ should be on the top by now.he is a worst striker that­ i ever seen.hope wenger sell him as soon as he can.

    From svijeren, on Fri 1 May 4:37PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    All Rumours are rubbish. theyre not true!

    None will­ happen.
    Fullstop

    From Rachel, on Fri 1 May 4:36PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    NO NO NO NO
    Benitez is not sitting on his thumbs - and­ it is not the fault of the american's­ either...
    Benitez has had more money than all the other­ team over the last 3 years and he has bought rubbish -­ he bought Torres - Reina - Babel, all the rest of his­ buys were bad ones.....he spent over £100million of­ rubbish players that would only just get in a aston­ villa team - and talking of aston villa - that is a­ pointless buy that @#$% called barry.....all liverpool­ need is a New Defence - and 1 good forward and the­ title would be ours.....

    From Redpizzi, on Fri 1 May 4:01PM

  17. santa cruz is almost 28, arsenal sold henry at 30, they­ don't need an old forward:P, they need a real good­ defender, in the middle and the attack we have the­ areas covered, even if one player leaves(please let it­ be bendtner):D

    From First L, on Fri 1 May 3:40PM

  18. Its true that Moyes likes Fanni, is it.........?

    From RICHARD W, on Fri 1 May 3:05PM

  19. WENGER BUYING SANTA CRUZ?NOT IN A MILLION YEARS.WHAT­ WILL HAPPEN TO HIS FAVOURATE RUBBISH STRIKER­ BENDTNER.OR HE WILL EXCHANGE BENDTNER PLUS 10m FOR­ CRUZ.

    From valach, on Fri 1 May 2:59PM

  20. You guys are more than welcome to Santa Cruz. It is­ clear he wants to move on to bigger & better­ things, fair play to him, however his ill timed public­ announcement when we are fighting for our premiership­ status shows what kind of person he really is. Good­ luck with him, he is talented but an £18 million injury­ prone risk who sulks if he doesn't get his own way.­ Sounds familiar Eh ?

    From neiljepson, on Fri 1 May 2:42PM
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