Arsenal Transfer News: Luis Suarez Latest; Julio Cesar, Nicklas Bendtner And Jesus Gamez Also Discussed

Arsenal’s pursuit of Luis Suarez could well follow the pattern of much of the club’s both incoming and outgoing transfer activity in recent seasons by going all the way until air only just whiffs through the smallest crack in the transfer window. A second bid has been made by the Gunners for the Liverpool forward of £40 million plus £1 to trigger a clause in his contract.

However, with Liverpool continuing to insist that the clause merely means they have to inform Suarez of the bid, Arsenal are now waiting on the Uruguayan to make the next move and have no plans to raise their bid, according to the Daily Mirror.

Suarez believes that the clause entitles him at the very least to speak with Arsenal and could even take his case to Premier League arbiters. Having made public on several occasions his desire to leave Anfield this summer, Suarez could also put pressure on Liverpool by handing in an official transfer request. If that does not happen, then Liverpool seem certain to hold firm unless an offer in excess of £50 million arrives.

That, though, is an amount that it is difficult to envisage Arsenal being prepared to stump up. The saga could well carry on then until the end of August in much the same way as the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie from the Emirates in recent seasons. It could also continue an unfortunate habit of Arsenal scrambling for much-needed signings late on deadline day.

Despite clearing their wage bill of several players whose pay their contribution on the pitch no longer warranted, Arsenal still have some work to do. Nicklas Bendtner is one player that the club is looking to ship out and they may have now found a taker in Spanish side Malaga. The Daily Mail reports that a swap deal is being set-up that would take the Denmark international to Malaga with their captain Jesus Gamez moving in the other direction.

After enduring unsuccessful loan spells in the past two seasons with Juventus and Sunderland, Bendtner has been linked with a number of clubs this summer but no move has yet been agreed. The signing of 28-year-old right-back Gamez, meanwhile, would raise questions about the future of Bacary Sagna. The France international has just a year left on his contract and has repeatedly been mentioned in connection with a move away from the club.

In other business, Arsenal could face competition should they look to push ahead with the signing of Julio Cesar. The Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper’s agent last week revealed that Arsenal was a “concrete option” after the player decided to leave following his club’s relegation.

But, although Napoli are out of the running having signed Liverpool’s Pepe Reina, there is now interest in the Brazil international from fellow Italian side Fiorentina, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The 33-year-old’s wages of a reported £90,000 a week are believed to be a stumbling block to Arsene Wenger bringing in competition for Wojciech Szczesny.

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