Gunners bid for Mata

Arsenal have reportedly launched a club record £18 million bid for Valencia's Spanish international attacking midfielder Juan Mata.

According to weekend reports in the British media, Arsene Wenger wants Mata at the Emirates to compensate for the potential loss of either Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri, or in the worst case scenario both.

23-year-old Mata was part of Spain's World Cup victory in South Africa last year, and won the bronze-boot as the best player of the tournament at the Euro Under 21 Championship won by Spain at the weekend.

Mata is known to be open to a move from Valencia, and Wenger is willing to make him Arsenal's most expensive recruit, ahead of Andrei Arshavin, the Gunners' most expensive player to date at £13 million.

Wenger will have to seal the deal quickly as Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has also been tracking Mata with intent.

But while the Reds remain an attractive prospect to Mata according to his agent, this is one case where their failure to qualify for next season's Uefa Champions League could come back to haunt them.-Soccer Laduma