ARSENE WENGER has sealed a £6million swoop for Auxerre defender
Bakari Sagna.
French right-back Sagna, 24, will sign a five-year contract worth
£25,000 a week this morning after agreeing personal terms with the
Arsenal manager last night.
His arrival comes as Gunners midfielder Freddie Ljungberg looks set
to complete a £5.5million move to Fiorentina.
Wengers Sagna signing is the perfect response after motor-mouth
William Gallas had a pop at the Emirates side in yesterdays
SunSport.
French defender Gallas slagged off Wengers transfer policy,
reckoning a lack of big-name arrivals meant a lack of
ambition.
Wenger is furious with Gallas over the attack and the gaffer will
order the player to keep his opinions to himself and start to
justify his £80,000-a-week wages after a disappointing first season
in North London.
Wenger will not take any disciplinary action, though he feels he
has been badly let down.
Gallas rapped: I did not come here to play for third place.
But Wenger is confident his young squad can mount a serious title
challenge next season and believes Sagnas signing will be
crucial.
Arsenal have already paid £10m for Croatia striker Eduardo da Silva
and are still in the market for a back-up central defender.
Sagnas arrival will mean a move into midfield for Emmanuel Eboue,
who will fill the gap left by Ljungbergs departure.
The 30-year-old Swede had vowed to stay and fight for his place
after nine years at Arsenal.
But he changed his mind after Wenger made it clear he was no longer
seen as a first-team regular.
Fiorentina head of sport Pantaleo Corvino and chief executive
Sandro Menucci both jetted to London to negotiate with
Ljungberg.
They are ready to offer him a four-year contract which will take
him to the end of his career.
