EXCLUSIVE
Fulham have asked for Arsenal striker Carlos Vela plus
cash from the Gunners in exchange for Mark Schwarzer.
The two London clubs have reached deadlock in their negotiations
because Arsenal are unwilling to match Fulham’s £4 million
valuation of the 37-year-old goalkeeper.
Arsenal had a £2m bid rejected for Schwarzer in May and have not
made a further offer, although it is understood that the two clubs
are still in talks.
“They have different valuations of Schwarzer,” a source close to
the transfer told Goal.com.
“Arsenal don’t want to pay the £4m that Fulham want but one
possibility is a player exchange deal to push it through."
It is understood that several Arsenal fringe players have been
mentioned and Fulham, who are keen to bolster their forward ranks
despite the signing of forward Moussa Dembele from AZ Alkmaar on
Wednesday, have enquired about Vela among others.
Arsenal are likely to value the Mexican international far beyond
a £2m makeweight, even though the 21-year-old is running out of
time to make his mark at the club.
A deal has also been held up because the west Londoners have
been unable to secure a proven goalkeeper to replace Schwarzer. An
offer was made to David James but the former England No.1 made the
surprise decision to drop a division and move to Championship club
Bristol City.
Vela has made more appearances for his country than he has for
Arsenal in the Premier League (25, including only three starts) and
has scored just eight goals for the club since his 2006 switch from
his homeland, although he did spend two seasons on loan in
Spain.
Despite the sticking points in Arsenal’s pursuit of Schwarzer,
who handed in a transfer request last week and was not picked for
Fulham’s opening Premier League fixture against Bolton Wanderers,
both sides expect the deal to eventually be completed before the
end of the transfer window.
Fulham manager Mark Hughes is continuing to look at forward
options after his pursuit of Craig Bellamy failed.
Hughes has been widely linked with a move for another forward he
managed at Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, Roque Santa Cruz,
but sources say he is not expected to pursue the Paraguayan because
of concerns over his injury record.
