Hammer blow for Wenger as PSG ready to thwart Arsenal by offering £20m for Cabaye



Paris Saint-Germain are ready to outbid Arsenal for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye and deal another transfer market blow to Arsene Wenger.

The under-fire Arsenal manager, in Istanbul with his team for Wednesday's Champions League play-off first leg against Fenerbahce, has had a frustrating summer as he seeks to spend his £80million war chest.

Arsenal bid £12m on Sunday for Cabaye, 27, but PSG may be prepared to offer as much as £20m for the cultured midfielder.

Back to France: PSG could outbid Arsenal to sign Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye

To miss out again would be a bitter blow to Wenger, who is under pressure after hostile supporters protested during and after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa in their Premier League opener.

Newcastle chairman Mike Ashley and manager Alan Pardew, angered by the timing of Arsenal’s approach and their valuation, are virtually resigned to losing the France star. Cabaye was left out of Monday night’s 4-0 thrashing at Manchester City, but they are reluctant to do business with the north London club.

Ashley revealed that Cabaye was his favourite Newcastle player and a contingent from Newcastle flew to Paris to meet Cabaye’s representatives on Tuesday. They are also prepared to meet PSG officials.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc also upset Pardew in particular during the summer with his public pursuit of the player who joined Newcastle two years ago and has become an integral part of the side.

Impressing: PSG manager Laurent Blanc wants to add his fellow Frenchman to his squad

Cabaye is one of five players Newcastle fought to keep 12 months ago following their Europa League qualification and Pardew was hoping to pull off the same feat this summer. His departure would be a blow but his sale could help the club, who have again faced criticism from supporters over their lack of transfer acitivity.

Pardew and his director of football Joe Kinnear, who have signed only one senior player this summer in loanee Loic Remy from Queens Park Rangers, will be keen to spend Ashley’s cash but there is no guarantee the owner will make it all available.

Wenger hit back at critics and defended his transfer business over the years at Arsenal.

Wenger arrived in Istanbul for a vital clash against Fenerbahce four days after Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa.

Top signing: Newcastle's Cabaye has been one of their most influential players over the previous seasons

Their clearly rattled manager, who is under fire for failing to sign players, said: ‘In the last 16 years we have been very successful with transfers. The players who play are top quality players and you should never forget that.’

He did offer some succour to Arsenal fans, adding: ‘We are a bit short now but I don’t worry. Less than two weeks until the transfer window closes is a long time and 75 per cent of things happen in the last 10 days.’



As for Pardew’s complaint that Arsenal’s bid for Cabaye had unsettled the player and was ‘disrespectful’ — coming on the eve of their opening Barclays Premier League game at Manchester City — Wenger said: ‘It’s not down to me to explain everything I do.’

Worrying: Arsene Wenger's mission to bring Cabaye to the Emirates may be in vain

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