Arsenal interested in Gary Cahill after Bolton raise prospect of sale
Posted Friday, November 12, 2010 by theguardian.com
Bolton's Gary Cahill tangles with Chelsea's Didier Drogba, a regular scorer against Arsenal.
Bolton Wanderers' decision to put Gary Cahill on the transfer market has opened the door to a formal bid from Arsenal. Arsène Wenger has been monitoring Cahill's impressive recent progress and despite spending £13m on two centre-halves during the summer some at the club doubt that the defence is sufficiently robust.
"If a Champions League team knocks on our door in January that's the best time to sell an asset because Champions League teams will pay the money," Bolton's chairman, Phil Gartside, told Bloomberg.
Cahill would add more physical presence to an Arsenal backline that has missed the ruggedness of the injured Thomas Vermaelen in recent weeks. Cahill would not be cup-tied in European competition and Premier League squad limits have also placed a strong accent on Englishness, meaning the 24-year-old's nationality is an added benefit.
Bolton are looking for £15m, which Arsenal may consider excessive, for a player who won his first international cap against Bulgaria in September as a second-half substitute.
The Gunners moved for Everton's Phil Jagielka in the summer, tabling a bid in excess of £10m for the former Sheffield United centre-back. But they withdrew their interest when Everton came back with a demand for more than £20m, quoting the £22m Manchester City had paid for Joleon Lescott as justification.
While Cahill is not pushing for a move publicly, his availability may persuade Arsenal to move for him.
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