Though Arsenal are inevitably being linked with a number of new names in this transfer window, they have also restored their interest in Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who they famously missed out on in the summer.
At the time, Magpies manager Alan Pardew was outraged at the timing with which the league leaders expressed their interest; Cabaye was unsettled and missed Newcastle’s next fixture. Though there is likely to be more understanding and structure this time around, Pardew will still fight just as hard to keep hold of a player who has been pivotal to Newcastle’s impressive form this season.
The numbers being thrown in the press differ wildly, with some putting the required bid to secure Cabaye at up to £30 million. This is an awful lot of money to pay for a player yet to perform at the top level in Europe, and Cabaye has not had an outstanding season, though his consistency is to be applauded.
With a wealth of midfield options at his disposal, Wenger will have to find a place for Cabaye in a team already blessed with the talents of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere in the middle of the park. Unlike those players however, he is unlikely to be used out wide on any occasion; if nothing else Cabaye’s form since his move to St James Park in 2011 has helped him to make the central midfield berth his own.
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