Arsenal line up Sahin as Song joins Barca
ARSENAL are poised to complete the loan signing of Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin today as they prepare to finalise the £15m sale of Alex Song to Barcelona.
Germany-born Turkey international Sahin, 23, is understood to have chosen the Gunners over Premier League rivals Liverpool for the season-long switch.
The left-footed star of Borussia Dortmund’s German top flight title-winning side of 2010-11 has struggled for regular games since joining Real for £8m last summer.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had hoped his friendship with Real boss Jose Mourinho would help beat Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger to Sahin, but, unlike the Gunners, was unable to offer Champions League football.
Arsenal confirmed a deal had been agreed with Barca for Song after drawing their first game of the season 0-0 at home to Sunderland on Saturday. Wenger is thought to be mulling whether to sign a more defensive midfielder before the 31 August deadline.
FACTFILE
Nuri Sahin
■ Became Bundesliga’s youngest ever player when he made his Borussia Dortmund debut in August 2005, aged 16 years 334 days
■ Voted the German top flight’s player of the season for 2010-11 after helping Dortmund win the title
■ Joined Real Madrid, who paid his €10m release fee, last summer but made just 11 appearances for the Spanish champions