Bacary Sagna Set to Join Manchester City on £120000-a-Week Deal

Premier League Champions Manchester City have reached an agreement with Arsenal to sign Bacary Sagna on a three-year deal worth £120000 a week. The Arsenal defender is expected to put pen to paper before the June 12th kick-off date for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. Sagna is currently with the French squad during their preparations for the Mundial.

The lucrative deal is said to be double of what Arsenal were willing to offer their longest-serving player, who recently just lifted the FA Cup Title with the London outfit after an amazing 3-2 comeback victory against Hull City at Wembley.

His arrival at the Etihad follows a host of other former Arsenal players who have all made the switch to the City of Manchester stadium. Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Kolo Toure have all joined in the past.

Sagna completed a move to Arsenal from Auxerre for an undisclosed fee, thought to have been an initial €9 million that could rise to €11 million. He was given the number 3 shirt, which was previously worn by former defender Ashley Cole. Sagna made his debut for Arsenal on 19 July 2007 as a starter in the squad that beat Turkish club Gençlerbirliği 3–0 in a friendly at Austria’s Bad Waltersdorf Stadion.

His arrival at City is expected to further push Micah Richards down the pecking order, and it is expected that the England international will soon begin his quest for regular football away from City.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini has also set his sights on bringing in Roma defender Mehdi Benatia, but the Serie A club has told City their player is not for sale. He has been identified by City to be an alternative to Porto center-half Eliaquim Mangala, whose valuation is in the figure of around £40m. However, the French defender is thought to be stalling on the move as he weighs up more options after being told that PSG and Chelsea are also interested in his services.

Arsenal prefer Sagna to stay at the Emirates but have also been looking at other options should he finally join City. Ivorian right-back Serge Aurier is said to interest Arsene Wenger, and he is willing to meet his valuation, which is thought to be about £7m.

Arsenal scouts have watched Aurier, who plays for Toulouse, as well as Southampton’s Calum Chambers, but are still hoping that Sagna will take up their offer of a £90,000-a-week three-year contract.

Sagna has been one of the best and most consistent right-backs in the Premier League since his arrival from Auxerre in 2007 and has the versatility to cover at center-back. Sagna, though, is most likely to join City, a move that would leave Arsenal needing both a new right-back and further cover at center-back.