Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Gunners Would Be Crazy to Sell Santi Cazorla

If all of the speculation that has come out in recent days is to be believed, Arsenal has grand plans over the next month on the transfer market. While there are plenty of intriguing moves to be made, one that the Gunners shouldn't even consider is sending midfielder Santi Cazorla elsewhere.

According to John Cross of the Mirror, reports have recently surfaced that Cazorla has agreed to personal terms with La Liga's Atletico Madrid. Arsenal has short down those reports, though, as it claims Cazorla isn't going anywhere.

Cazorla himself has spoken out as well, according to Rob Burnett of the Mirror, and while he acknowledged that a return to Spain could be in the cards at some point, he denied that anything is on the horizon.

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There has been a lot of speculation about a move to Atletico Madrid but I'm very happy at Arsenal, I have a contract there and I start training on Monday.

Perhaps I will return to Spain one day, but right now it's very unlikely, he added.

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The 28-year-old Spaniard made the jump from Malaga to Arsenal prior to last season, and he responded with the best year of his career. Cazorla set career highs in both goals (12) and assists (16), and he was easily one of Arsenal's best players as it finished a solid fourth in the EPL.

According to Goal UK, Arsenal is slowly and patiently pursuing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez in an effort to improve upon last year's showing.

While Suarez's attitude can be troublesome at times, there is no denying the Uruguayan striker's ability. He scored 30 goals for the Reds last season, and he would make the Gunners' offensive attack even more dangerous than it already is.

With that said, bringing in Suarez and letting Cazorla go would essentially be a lateral move. Suarez is a more explosive player than Cazorla, and he certainly makes more headlines than him as well, but Cazorla was arguably the No. 1 key to Arsenal's success last season.

Putting Cazorla and Suarez together could be huge for Arsenal, and it could help the Gunners close the gap between themselves, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United in a hurry. Cazorla played with some pretty talented forwards last season, and it led to a big jump in his production. Suarez is a totally different caliber of forward, though, and he could help take Cazorla's game to another level.

It's easy to put setup guys like Cazorla on the back burner when a goalscorer like Suarez enters the discussion, but there is no reason why the Gunners can't have both. Suarez is obviously going to cost a ton; however, Arsenal has money to burn for the first time in years, and it needs to add rather than subtract.

Also, staying at Emirates Stadium this season makes sense from Cazorla's perspective because he has a great opportunity to perform well on the big stage. He already proved capable of putting up big numbers with a strong supporting cast, and those numbers will be even better if Suarez comes aboard.

Cazorla is in the mix for Spain's 2014 World Cup squad, but La Roja has so much depth that he isn't guaranteed a spot. He has to prove that he is in great form during the upcoming season. Staying at Arsenal will allow him to do that, and barring injury, he should be selected for the World Cup in Brazil.

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