The England defender’s future is still far from certain, with Barcelona the latest club linked with a swoop this week.
Five games into the Premier League season, and managers and chairman are already making plans for the next transfer window. Arsenal and Tottenham were still dealing until the last minute on deadline day, and the jury is still out on whether they did enough.
Cahill is one of English football’s hottest properties, a defender with a scoring touch. Like Ashley Young, he is at the stage of his career where he has broken into the England team, and is outgrowing his club.
Young got his big move and has not looked back since. Cahill’s brief forays into international football show he is not overawed by the big occasion. Phil Jones is another player who has flourished with Manchester United and England since his move from Blackburn.
Cahill is out of contract in the summer, and Bolton tried to get huge money for him in August. They will not want to lose him on a free next summer and should accept a bid of around £12 million for him in January.
Cahill travels with Bolton to the Emirates this weekend, the perfect time to showcase a reminder of his talents. Don’t forget he is still eligible to play Champions League or Europa League football this season.
So where will he go?
Tottenham?
Spurs had a mixed summer in the market, they held onto star man Luka Modric and shifted much of the squad’s dead wood. Adebayor has looked bright so far, but the way Spurs were taken apart defensively by Man City has not been forgotten.
Gary Cahill was a top target on deadline day, and Redknapp will make another move in January. The manager was ready to jettison Sebastien Bassong if Cahill signed, and this plan will not have changed.
Of the defenders already at the club Ledley King and William Gallas are injury prone and ageing respectively, while Sergio Aguero made the normally reliant Michael Dawson look flat-footed a month ago, so there is room for competition and improvement.
Expect Spurs to carry on where they left off, and make all the early running for the defender in January.
Arsenal?
The Gunners would be smart to renew their interest in signing of Gary Cahill, and not just to stop Spurs. Wenger messed up a bid for the player in August, but it was Arsenal who showed the initial interest in the player, which could sway Cahill’s mind. Signing Per Mertesacker has been some help to Arsenal’s backline, but it is clear already Arsenal should have gone for a player with Premier League experience. Any injuries to the back line and it is almost certain Arsenal will make their move.
Vermaelen has been injury prone for the past 18 months, and Koscielny and Djourou have simply been not good enough at stages this season, as the scoreline at Old Trafford demonstrated. Koscielny was especially poor away to Blackburn in the second half while Djourou was exposed against lowly Shrewsbury in midweek.
At least one should be sold and replaced with Cahill.
Cahill is Arsenal’s for the taking, if Wenger wants him, and can close the deal. If he allows Redknapp and Spurs to steal a march, he could well end up regretting it in years to come. The key question is, with 6 months left on Cahill’s contract, what will be Bolton’s asking price and will Wenger be willing to pay it?
The player won’t hang around waiting for Arsenal forever, and if another top club comes calling, they may lose out for good.
Do either club need Cahill? Where do you think he will go?
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