Arsenal close in on £16m Malaga winger Santi Cazorla

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Spain's Santi Cazorla after the maestro agreed terms with the club.

The versatile Malaga man looks set to complete a move to north London in the coming weeks, a year after first being pursued by Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners have agreed personal terms with the player and a fee of £16million with the club, who must settle outstanding debts before the end of the month or face relegation from La Liga. And Wenger is confident the 27-year-old will not be the final signing of the summer.

Cazorla, who scored four freekicks last season, played in almost every position across the midfield and attack, and would be the third addition to the forward ranks this summer, after Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.

Cazorla, who can operate on either flank, has been tipped as a potential replacement for Theo Walcott, who has less than a year to run on his contract. But Wenger is increasingly confident of persuading the winger to sign a new deal, despite interest from Chelsea and Liverpool.