When Arsenal were mulling over whether or not to make a bid for Samuel Chukwueze a year ago, they wasted little time in picking up the phone to a man who had the inside track on the Nigerian winger.
“They asked me about him,” Santi Cazorla, the Gunners hero who ended up sharing a dressing room with Chukwueze at Villarreal, told Marca.
“They think (Chukwueze) can make the jump to the Premiership tomorrow.”
So if Arsenal plan renew their interest in one of Europe’s top defensive talents ahead of the summer transfer window – and they may do just that given that David Luiz, Gabriel, Rob Holding and co seem incapable of putting together a consistent run of performances – Cazorla can expect to receive another phone call from his old employers.
“I think Pau Torres is a brutal player,” Cazorla tells RAC1 this week.
“Xavi (his coach at Al Sadd) asks me a lot about him. He is a young player, I think he is a brutal footballer
“He has a great personality. He has more of a Barcelona style; he plays the ball very well and he has a very good vision of the game.”
In truth, the word ‘brutal’ may be a little misleading.
Yes, Torres is unlikely to shirk a tackle any time soon but, as Cazorla himself admits, this is a player coded in Catalan DNA. Villarreal’s Spain international has the passing range of a seasoned playmaker and is as adept at starting attacks himself as he is stopping them at the other end.
Marca reported in November that the 24-year-old is a £40 million target for Arsenal.
But, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid emerging as rivals for Torres’ signature, the Gunners may be hoping that the Cazorla connection gives them the edge.
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