LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Gary Cahill of Chelsea signs autographs prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Arsenal Gossip

Italian media: Gary Cahill loan deal to join Arsenal ‘almost’ done

Dec 29, 2018

Gary Cahill is closing in on a loan move to Arsenal in January, and even a number of reliable outlets are reporting that Chelsea are preparing to let him go.

chelsea bejing — Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi (2L) celebrates with Gary Cahill (R) and Cesar Azpilicueta (L)after scoring against Arsenal during their pre-season football match in Beijing’s National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, on July 22, 2017. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)

Italian site NewsMondo reports that Chelsea have ‘almost closed’ a deal to loan Cahill to Arsenal. They claim that bar any ‘last-minute upheavals’, the temporary transfer is done.

Whilst NewsMondo might not be the most reliable outlet out there, they aren’t the only ones reporting that Chelsea are close to letting Cahill go.

John Percy of the Telegraph, who has an impeccable record when it comes to transfer stories, writes that the Blues are willing to let the defender go next month. He claims Chelsea would accept a loan arrangement as long as the loan club paid his wages in full, adding that Cahill is keen to stay in the Premier League and favours a loan over a sale.

Cahill is on around £110,000-a-week as it stands, but with a loan fee, the total cost for the six months would reportedly be around £4m.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Gary Cahill of Chelsea in action during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Derby County at Stamford Bridge on October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Gary Cahill of Chelsea in action during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Derby County at Stamford Bridge on October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

None of that confirms that it will be Arsenal taking the player on loan, but it certainly adds some credence to the stories. If Cahill is going to stay in the Premier League, Arsenal certainly need reinforcements, and it would be a low-cost, low-risk addition for the next six months, until the summer when they could target someone more long-term.

Perhaps Cahill really will follow his former teammate Petr Cech to the Emirates Stadium. We’ll know more in the coming weeks.