Santi Cazorla Would Soften Arsenal's Inevitable Loss of Robin Van Persie

Arsenal aren't going to replace Robin van Persie once the Dutch striker's imminent departure finally becomes official. But adding Málaga forward Santi Cazorla would certainly soften the blow.

That now seems like a very real possibility, with Arsenal agreeing to terms with the player according to Sid Lowe and David Hytner of The Guardian. All that is left is to agree on transfer terms with the club.

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The Spain winger Santi Cazorla has agreed terms to join Arsenal and leave this summer. Arsène Wenger is keen to sign Cazorla, whom he monitored last summer, and he is hopeful that an offer of €20m (£15.6m) can close the deal with a basic agreement in place with the player.

Negotiations have taken place between the clubs and, although Málaga's initial response was to point to Cazorla's €45m buy-out clause and effectively discourage Arsenal's interest, the Spanish club's worrying financial situation, which could see them relegated if they do not pay outstanding debts, might force them to sell.

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Cazorla would present Wenger with another option either out wide on the wing or centrally as an attacking midfielder. With uncertainty surrounding the return of Jack Wilshere, Cazorla could see a lot of time playing centrally early in the season if he joins the Gunners.

Adding him into the ranks of Arsenal's other wingers—Theo Walcott, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain—would allow Wenger to rotate new signings Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud at the vacated striker position.

While Cazorla wouldn't come anywhere close to replacing the goal-scoring ability of van Persie, his creativity and ability to create opportunities for his teammates would fit nicely into the Arsenal attack.

Statistically, Cazorla's finsest season came in 2010-11 for Villarreal, when he scored seven goals and notched 13 assists for the Spanish side in 52 appearances. Last season for Málaga, he was good for nine goals and six assists in 42 appearances.

Arsenal may lose the singular striking ability of van Persie this offseason, but if they work out an extension with Walcott and bring in Cazorla, they will have fantastic depth at the attacking positions. Arsenal may not have realistic title hopes for next season, but a top-four finish won't be out of the question.

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