Low Cahill Bid Rejected-Bolton Fans Riot

We've been waiting all summer for the bids for our supposed hot commodity to come in, and it appears one finally has. Last night the rumours were flying, and this morning it was confirmed that Arsenal lodged a bid for Cahill reported to be in the region of £6-7mil. This morning chairman Phil Gartside retweeted something from a fan that read "#arsenal are you taking the piss 6 million for Garry Cahill f**k right off!!! #BWFC #wengerisabell" which was perhaps not the wisest thing to do, but seems to echo what a lot of the fans are saying about this bid. Coyle himself classed the bid as "derisory" this morning in his press conference this morning. Even some reputable journalists have classified the amount as an "insult" to both player and club. It is true that the number is significantly lower than we were expecting, but I personally don't think it is as scandalous as many of my fellow Wanderers do.

The first and foremost reason for this is the fact, which we have been desperately trying to hide, that Cahill simply is not as good as everyone says. Yes, he excelled under Megson at a time when the team needed a player to step up, but I don't think anyone would classify it as difficult to stand out in a Megson team. He does make some incredible clearances, and he does score quite a few goals (in fact, the most out of any defender in the Prem in the last 3 seasons). But he also makes a lot of mistakes, some of which have led to conceded goals (like in our 1-0 loss at home to Liverpool last season). I know that no Bolton fan wants to hear this, but he is massively over-hyped. In a sane market, his value probably would be around £7mil.

That said, it obviously is not a sane market. In a world where Samir Nasri is worth £22mil, and Phil Jones is worth £17mil, Cahill would at least be in the teens. But at this point, Bolton are in a weak position. Cahill's contract runs out next summer, a fact that every manager in the Prem knows, and while I would like to think he would resign out of loyalty to the club, modern football is not a game of loyalty. If Bolton don't want another Elmander incident on their hands, we do need to sell soon. Wenger made a smart move by bidding low, he knows the situation and was feeling the club out. 

Phil Gartside and Owen Coyle have emphatically put their feet down, blasting Wenger in the press for the bid that was just over a third of the asking price. It's no secret that Arsenal are sitting on a nice pile of cash as a result of several fruitful sales. After the initial rejection the ball not only in Arsenal's court, but also any other club who is interested. I think he will go this transfer window, it's too risky for the club if he doesn't. For how much though, remains to be seen. And I'm sure we'll be hearing much more about it.