By Paul Brown
ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger was hit by another snub last night when Nuri Sahin agreed to sign for Liverpool on loan.
Wenger has already been forced to sell star players Robin van Persie and Alex Song this summer and had made Real Madrid misfit Sahin a target to reinforce his squad.
But Arsenal wanted an agreement to make his loan move permanent – something Real were against – allowing Liverpool to nick him on a season-long deal.
Sahin’s agent Reza Fazeli is in Liverpool finalising the details of the transfer, and Sahin is expected to fly in today for a medical.
He will be at Anfield for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday, but the transfer is unlikely to go through in time for him to play.
Sahin, who can play in midfield or as a forward and is still only 23, made his name in Germany by helping Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga title in 2010-11 before making an £8m move to Madrid.
His first-team chances have been limited in Spain, but Real boss Jose Mourinho still sees him as one for the future and refused to sanction a permanent transfer.
He also received assurances from Rodgers that Sahin, who has 31 caps for Turkey, would get significant playing time for Liverpool this season, something Arsenal could not confirm.
The snub is a major embarrassment for Wenger, who was assured by the German-born player that he would sign for the Gunners.
Arsenal will now turn all their attention to Seville winger Jesus Navas, who is rated at £27m by his club.
