Mourinho opens door to Arsenal move for Sahin
Nuri Sahin appears to be edging closer to a move to Arsenal after the midfielder was told he is free to leave Real Madrid by boss Jose Mourinho.
The Gunners are reportedly interested in signing Sahin on a season-long deal with an option to buy, but face competition from a number of clubs including Galatasaray for the 23-year-old.
A move to the Emirates Stadium is understood to be Sahin's preferred destination and the transfer moved a step closer today when Mourinho declared he is surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu.
"The point is that he's a young boy who wants to play every match," the Real manager said. "He wants to play to be happy and in Real Madrid with Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira, Lassana Diarra, Esteban Granero and Mesut Ozil, the situation is not easy.
"Real Madrid is very difficult. It is not an easy club, because we demand a lot. We have great players and when you don't start well, it's difficult to do it.
"If he stays, he's not a problem for me. He's one more solution. We are leaving the situation in his hands. Decide what you want to decide, to be happy. If you decide to leave we're going to help you to leave. "If you decide to stay, we're going to support you and try to succeed this season."
Injury prevented Sahin from making much of an impact in his first season at the Bernabeu, making just 10 appearances following his £8million last summer from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also closing in on the club-record signing of Santi Cazorla, the Malaga attacking midfielder who is reported to have completed a medical.
Cazorla, 27, has inked a four-year contract with the Gunners and is set to arrive for a fee in the region of £16million which would see him eclipse Andriy Arshavin as the club's record signing.
The Spanish international's arrival would continue a busy summer of transfer activity in North London with strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud already recruited.
And they could also be joined by France youth international M'Baye Niang. Caen president Jean-Francois Fortin has revealed that Arsenal have made an official offer for the 17-year-old after he impressed during a trial earlier in the summer.
"Arsenal made me a proposition, but other clubs are interested - two in England and one in Italy," Fortin told L'Equipe. "There will be an issue here for a fortnight before the matter is resolved."
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