Julio Cesar Picks Fiorentina as Arsenal Come Up Empty Once Again
Just when you thought the summer transfer window couldn't get any more frustrating for Arsenal fans, Julio Cesar slips through the net.
Football-Italia is reporting Fiorentina are inches from agreeing a deal with the Brazilian goalkeeper after a โฌ3 million bid was accepted by Queens Park Rangers for his services.
Despite Arsenal's rocky summer, this was a deal they looked absolutely nailed on to seal, and the ideal nature of it ensured many believed it to be a bit of a no-brainer.
Cesar, 33, would have provided the perfect foil for Arsene Wenger and could have coached Wojciech Szczesny into an elite goalkeeper.
As promising as the Pole seems, he's not quite ready yet, and Cesar is the right age to take the baton for two seasons while his colleague finishes his early development.
The added bonus, of course, is that Cesar recently won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil, keeping a clean sheet against Spain in the final and remains first-choice under Luiz Felipe Scolari.
He's a terrific goalkeeper available for a bargain price.
That "experienced, international" shot-stopper that Gooners crave was right under their noses, and somehow he's escaped back to Italy.
The distance separating Loftus Road and the Emirates Stadiumโhome to both QPR and Arsenal, respectivelyโis just 8.7 miles, yet Cesar looks set for Florence.
Where does it leave Arsene Wenger and his club? One signing in Yaya Sanogo, who will not contribute to the first-team this season, and no one else appears close.
They're stuck in limbo on the Luis Suarez deal while the lawyers work out exactly what the ยฃ40 million clause means,ย Nicklas Bendtner is still at the Emirates and Marouane Chamakh is proving just as difficult to shift.
Yet another setback for Wenger, but they're getting harder and harder to stomach if you're a fan.
