Ornstein: Arsenal close to agreeing Shkodran Mustafi deal

In a shocking* turn of events, the BBC’s David “The Ornacle” Ornstein reports that the Shkodran Mustafi deal is back on. After being supposedly taken off the market just a few days ago, now Ornstein says that Arsenal and Valencia are “close” to agreeing a deal that would see £35 million or thereabouts go in one direction, and a really good young defender going in the other.

*It’s actually not shocking at all, transfers are a messy business.

Yesterday it was rumored that discussions had been revived, so you can see how this came about. Just goes to show that you should never get too mad about something that hasn’t happened yet. Of course, you also shouldn’t get too happy about something that hasn’t happened yet – Ornacle is solid, for sure, but “close to agreeing” doesn’t mean “he’s at Colney getting photos done.”

This remains very encouraging news, though, both for the immediate future and the long-term defensive picture at Arsenal. So get a little excited, but not too much.