Football: Arsenal bid £12m for Everton defender

LONDON: Arsenal have upped their offer for Everton defender Phil Jagielka in the hope that they can persuade them to part with their star defender. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to secure a new central defender before the end of the transfer window and has been strongly linked with a trio of Premier League defenders in Jagielka, Gary Cahill and Christopher Samba. Wenger bid £12 million for Jagielka last summer but the offer was rebuffed by Everton boss David Moyes. However, this season the Scottish manager is aware that the club have little funds and that he may have to sell in order to strengthen his squad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2011.