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Close friend appears to confirm Mustafi is joining Arsenal

By on August 16, 2016

Arsenal’s pursuit of Shkodran Mustafi has taken yet another twist as the players close friend Roberto Soriano appears to have confirmed the centre-back is leaving Valencia.

Arsene Wenger is desperately trying to sign a top class centre-back after losing both Gabriel and Per Mertesacker to serious injury and Mustafi has emerged as our key target in recent weeks.

The German international’s agent was quoted by the Mirror as saying last week that Mustafi had agreed personal terms with Arsenal over a move to the Emirates this summer.

But BBC and Sky Sports journalists claimed yesterday that while the 24-year-old is keen on joining Arsenal, we are struggling to agree terms with Valencia and the Mirror suggest that we aren’t willing to meet their £25m valuation.

However, in a fresh twists today, Mustafi’s former team mate and close friend, Roberto Soriano, appears to have confirmed that the defender is on the verge of a move.

Mustafi and Soriano became close friends during their time together at Sampdoria and the midfielder has just joined Villarreal with the hope that his compatriot would help him settle in to life in Spain. But Soriano claims that just as he’s arriving in La Liga, Mustafi is on the move.

Soriano is quoted as saying by Spanish outlet El Desmarque:

” I have no luck.  I do not know what to do ‘Musta’. In any case, if there are big clubs are interested in him that means that he is doing very well and I’m happy for him. I’m a little less happy for me, I had hoped he would help me adapt to life in Spain. I came for him and now he goes”

Soriano doesn’t specifically say Mustafi is joining Arsenal but given the amount of speculation surrounding the proposed deal, I think it’s safe to assume the defender is heading for north London if he is set to leave Valencia.

Who knows what’s going on with this deal. I think all we can do is see how things develop and pray that Wenger manages to get a deal over the line before the window closes.