Man United join queue to buy Arsenal’s money-seeking defender
Published:Bacary Sagna’s last game as an Arsenal player will be the famous win over Hull City that ended the club’s nine-year-long wait for some silverware. Now he’s set to fly the nest to seek more glory elsewhere.
The French full-back will leave the north London club he’s called home for seven years on a free this summer and, as an 39-cap international, obviously has plenty of suitors for his signature.
Manchester City are thought to in an advanced stage of talks with the right-back’s representatives, offering him close to the £100,000 per week wages he craves.
However, city-rivals Manchester United have now entered the fight for Sagna, with all-but-announced new manager Louis van Gaal keen to bring the former Auxerre man to Old Trafford to provide competition to Rafael.
Van Gaal would have England pair Phil Jones and Chris Smalling able to cover for the young Brazilian in his squad when he takes over at the Theatre of Dreams, but as a dedicated advocate of attacking football is looking for a full-back who perhaps is better than the natural centre-backs going forward.
Sagna would certainly fit that bill and his arrival would be a serious test of Rafael’s ability to keep him out of the side.
Should the Frenchman plump for City, his game time prospects aren’t likely to be as good, with Pablo Zabaleta holding the right-flank role under lock and key.
Either way Sagna wants his future to be resolved before the start of the World Cup, where he’s 20/1 to add to his recently acquired FA Cup medal with a win in the greatest tournament in football.
Both clubs should have no trouble matching his wage demands, so it becomes a straight between silverware and bench warming at City or competition for places and rebuilding at United.
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