Cazorla: a coup or a warning?

Far be it from this blog to treat the rumours of Santi Cazorla joining Arsenal as fact. The story has yet to gain any more credibility than other persistent rumours. While 29 mentions in the media the last five days might lend weight, the precedents of, say, Clint Dempsey or Junior Hoilett should cool our heads. Just because a player's name is bandied about a lot, doesn't mean there is any more than an agent's hope of a transfer in the air.

However, the story has grown into something reminiscent of Arsène Wenger's well known modus operandi: returning to a former - alleged - transfer target to get him on a cheap. (If 20 million Euros can be called cheap under any circumstances.)

Málaga CF is Spain's Chelsea or Manchester City. Without much of a history of trophies, they achieved Champions League qualification last season through heavy investments (around €60m in players alone) from oil billionaires in Qatar. Stars like Cazorla, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Joris Mathijsen, Jérémy Toulalan and Júlio Baptista all cost the club sizable fees and wages.

These wages, however, haven't been paid, despite the Arab backing. Something's rotten in the running of the club. European football and, indeed, the place in La Liga, can be lost at the end of this month. Selling Cazorla would get the needed money in. The Spain international himself is among the players threatening to sue for unpaid wages.

Here, the Guardian has summed up the situation well. They also claim that Cazorla - an Arsenal target last summer as well, if rumour is to be believed - is very happy about the idea of playing at the Emirates.

And that may still happen. However, the rumours about Santi Cazorla and his current club's circumstances is more of a warning than a possible transfer coup for me.

Málaga CF lay their fate in the hands of a sugar daddy. When he is distracted, disaster looms. The Qatari owner Abdullah Al Thani may very well pay what's needed before the deadline, but even then he brings all kinds of hell down on the fans, the players, the coach and the community by waiting until the last minute. And imagine if he did not pay at all.

All of Arsenal's and Wenger's talk of sustainable football makes even better sense on that backdrop.