Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Is Phil Jagielka Worth Sky-High Price Tag?

Arsenal are in need of help defensively, plain and simple. That has been a common refrain over the last two summers for Arsene Wenger's Gunners, but this summer, the club seems dedicated to doing something about it. 

The Gunners have been linked to everyone from centre-backs Chris Samba and Gary Cahill to left backs Jose Enrique and Emilio Izaguirre to defensive midfielders Scott Dann and Felipe Melo. They've looked high and low for help on defense, and the hunt has seen Wenger hit some familiar targets. 

That's why it was little surprise when it was revealed that Arsenal had bid £10 million for Everton's defensive stalwart, Phil Jagielka. It was also little surprise when reports said that the Toffees had rejected Wenger's bid on the talented 28-year-old centre back. 

What was a surprise was Everton's price tag. According to a Mirror Football report, the Toffees were demanding £20 million for their star defender, more than double the Gunners' initial bid. 

While Jagielka is talented, the question remains: Is he really worth that kind of cash? 

The English international is one of the most reliable defenders in the sport, which certainly helps his case. He's got the size and strength to thrive in the Gunners' system, providing them with skills they lacked at the position in recent years.

He's a stellar tackler with good pace for a centre back, and has surprisingly good passing skills. On top of that, the Toffees have him locked in through 2015, thanks to the contract extension he signed back in March, so his fee is a bit higher than most potential transfer targets. 

But Jagielka's hardly a perfect player, either. His nose for goal has more or less evaporated in his time at Goodison Park, and the 28-year-old has scored all of four goals in his time with the Toffees. 

On top of that, there's the age factor to consider here. Jagielka still has plenty left in the tank at age 28, but while his contract is rather lengthy, he still costs much more to get than some of Arsenal's younger, more talented targets. 

Take Chris Samba for example. The Blackburn standout is younger than Jagielka, at age 27, and while his talent level is slightly lower, he also costs just £10 to £12 million. He's a skilled defender who can fill the centre-back role brilliantly as well, and represents a much better value than the Everton back. 

Or, as a better example, there is Gary Cahill. The Bolton centre back is valued at £17 million, which is only slightly less than Jagielka until you remember that not only is Cahill three years younger, he has considerably more upside than his Everton counterpart. 

The only real reason for Jagielka to cost as much more than Samba or Cahill as he does is simple: Everton don't want to sell him. Jagielka is one of the team's anchors, and in a summer when the Toffees aren't likely to improve their squad much due to lack of funding, they're also unlikely to sell one of their most talented (and well-liked) players for less than market value. 

Rather than wanting to sell and being willing to take a bargain on their top defensive performer, Everton want to keep Jagielka around. So, the powers that be at Goodison Park drive a harder bargain, and even value their star player slightly more than the others on the market, in hopes of keeping him for themselves. 

In the end, Jagielka's skills make him worth about the same amount as a Cahill or Samba, particularly when you factor in his contract. When you take his value to Everton into account, the slightly overpriced valuation of the 28-year-old makes perfect sense. .

To most clubs, Jagielka's not worth £20 million, but because Everton don't want to sell, he's worth that much to them. Look for the price to take the Gunners out of the running to land Jagielka with better value targets on the market, thereby accomplishing the Toffees' goal of keeping their defensive stalwart in the fold.