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Arsenal step up Jagielka hunt and offload Bendtner
Transfer Talk: Gunners confident that defender will sign as Fabregas told to commit to the club
Arsenal fans have had precious little to cheer about in the transfer stakes so far this summer, but today that could all change.
Not only is Spanish winger Juan Mata set to pledge his troth to the Gunners, but Nicklas Bendtner is bidding farewell to north London.
The beanpole Danish striker has been with Arsenal since 2004, but he has never won over the supporters and they will not be disappointed to hear that he is signing for Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth £9m. The Mail even claims he could be unveiled as a Sporting player tomorrow.
But that won't be the only action at the Emirates this weekend if the Telegraph is to be believed. It claims that Arsene Wenger has renewed his attempts to sign defender Phil Jagielka (above) from Everton and has made an improved offer of £15m for the England man, even though the Toffees want £18m.
Wenger is apparently confident that the bid will be accepted and the deal could be concluded over the next 48 hours. That, incidentally, is also the amount of time that Barcelona have to secure the services of Cesc Fabregas if they do really want him.
The Telegraph says Wenger is fed up of playing cat and mouse and has told all parties that if the on/off deal is not finalised by Monday he expects his Spanish midfielder to commit himself to Arsenal for another season.
There's even more good news for Gooners in the Sun, which says that Juan Mata has told his friends he is joining the Gunners in a £19m deal.
Chelsea appear to be inching closer to signing Palermo's sought-after Argentine international Javier Pastore after the Italian club's president announced that the player's representatives were due in London to meet Chelsea.
Earlier in the week the club vice-president Guglielmo Micciche said that the £40m rated midfielder could be heading for Stamford Bridge, but now the Italian outfit have gone one better and the head honcho himself - president Maurizio Zamparini - has revealed that there will be a meeting between the Blues and Pastore today.
Zamparini told TV channel Stadio News on Thursday: "Tomorrow his agent will be in London to meet Chelsea."
He also scotched rumours that French side Paris St Germain could gazump Andre Villas-Boas, describing claims that the 22-year-old was on his way to France as an "invention".
And while one Argentine's agent is heading this way, anothers is off to Italy. The Sun reports that representatives of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez are in Milan thrashing out details of his £40m move to Inter.
Speaking of Argentine forwards and Man City, Sergio Aguero has officially become a Citizen of Manchester after signing for Roberto Mancini's outfit. The Argentine said he fully expected to be playing for a team that "will be fighting every year to win major trophies", so some of his new team mates better knuckle down and stop trying fancy backheels in front of goal.
Aguero, who cost City £35m will wear the number 16 shirt. ·
