Yohan Cabaye approach rejected as Arsenal launch 'derisory' £10.2m transfer bid for Newcastle midfielder

Yohan Cabaye approach rejected as
Arsenal launch 'derisory' £10.2m transfer
bid for Newcastle midfielder
Arsenal provoked fury and ridicule from
Newcastle United yesterday when they
finally re-entered the transfer market
and tabled a £10.2 million offer for
Yohan Cabaye just hours before his first
game of the season.
Up in arms: Arsenal's bid for Yohan Cabaye
has been rejected by Newcastle
With Cabaye keen to leave, Newcastle
manager Alan Pardew withdrew the France
midfielder from last night’s squad to face
Manchester City .
“We have prepared with the lad for three
days and for him to have his head turned
by this bid by Arsenal is just disrespectful
in my view,” said Pardew after his side were
beaten 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
“Why it couldn’t have waited until
tomorrow I don’t know. The result wouldn’t
have been the same if he’d played in my
view.”
Arsenal have also reacted to their 3-1
defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday by
tabling an offer for Juventus midfielder
Paul Pogba. But the timing of the bid for
Cabaye has caused particular anger at
Newcastle.
“I think it is just a very difficult situation
when a player gets news like that, and it
wasn’t us who gave him the news. It is very
hard to get your head around to play a
game of this magnitude,” Pardew said.

“It is pretty obvious I am upset about that
and I would rather focus on what for us
has been a tough day. We have 37 games
to go and we need to make sure we don’t
let this game emotionally scar us.
“I am not sure of the exact terms of it [the
bid] but it is below our valuation of the
player for sure This is a terrific player.”
Pardew compared the disruption caused to
Cabaye to that created by bids for
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Tottenham’s
Gareth Bale.
“There is a question about the window
being closed before we kick off the Premier
League season,” Pardew said. “I know the
Premier League asked the European
leagues to do it and they said the European
leagues wouldn’t fall in line.
“After the summer we have had, the
situations we have had, with Wayne Rooney
as well, it is definitely something they need
to put under the microscope again.”
Newcastle immediately turned down
Arsenal’s offer for Cabaye and made it
known they considered Arsène Wenger’s
valuation to be “derisory”. In a direct
conversation with Dick Law, Arsenal’s
contract negotiator, it is understood that
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley responded to
the offer with the words: “Which part of him
do you want to buy?”
When Law assured him that Arsenal’s offer
was genuine, Ashley then apparently said
that they should come back with at least
£20 million if they were serious about
starting negotiations. Arsenal have not, as
yet, returned with a second offer but they
did yesterday also bid for Pogba, the
former Manchester United midfielder, who
is now at Juventus.
United lost Pogba last summer when he
turned down the offer of a contract and
opted instead to join the Italian side. The
20-year-old central midfielder played
regularly for Juventus last season and,
having been compared to a young Patrick
Vieira for much of his career, has broken
into the France squad. Juventus would also
value Pogba at about £20 million but there
is a sense that they might be more willing
sellers than Newcastle.
Arsenal had always wanted to add at least
one midfielder this summer but their need
has become even more acute over the past
week following injuries. Cabaye, who cost
Newcastle only £4.8 million two years ago,
is keen to leave the club. However, Ashley
will be aware that a bidding war could now
begin. Paris St-Germain have made no
secret of their interest in Cabaye and their
very public flirtation has annoyed
Newcastle. Monaco have also been tracking
the former Lille playmaker.
As well as a midfielder, a new striker is at
the top of Wenger’s list of priorities and
Arsenal have still not completely given up
hope on Suárez or even Manchester
United’s Rooney.
They would also like to add a right-sided
defender and there is interest in
Manchester City’s Micah Richards. Another
option is Mathieu Flamini, who left Arsenal
for AC Milan in 2009 but is now a free
agent and back training at the club. Flamini
can play at full-back as well as central
midfield.