Arsenal and Bayern Munich have fired the starting gun for a scramble to sign £18million-rated England defender Gary Cahill after making a personal check on his form at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle’s recent admission that Cahill ‘will outgrow this club and will go with my blessing’ sent out a signal to the centre-back’s elite list of admirers, and Arsenal and Bayern were first to react by sending scouts to watch another commanding performance in a last-gasp 1-0 win for Manchester United.
Coyle’s frank assessment is being widely interpreted as a sign that, with Cahill nearing the final year of his contract and establishing himself in the England squad, he will be allowed to leave at the end of the season.
There will be no shortage of takers, with Bayern desperate for a top-class centre-back and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in receipt of scouting reports urging him to turn to the 25-year old to shore up a suspect defence.
Bolton may struggle to realise their £18m asking price but should go close, given the level of interest. United have been closely monitoring his progress, Liverpool are keen and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp declared his admiration for the former Aston Villa defender’s composure and eye for goal last year.
Jupp Heynckes is about to leave Bayer Leverkusen to replace the outgoing Louis Van Gaal at Bayern and has told Allianz Arena chiefs to go all out to win the race for Cahill.
Defensive failings have cost the Bundesliga giants dear this season, with a Champions’ League place looking tantalisingly out of reach, and Heynckes is determined to avoid any repeat in his first campaign in charge.
Van Gaal has paid the price for failing to shore up a rearguard that was chiefly to blame for Bayern’s failure to progress beyond the last 16 of this year's Champions League, following a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan.
Having sold Lucio to Inter and loaned Martin Demichelis to Malaga, following a fall-out with their Dutch coach, Bayern are short of experienced cover in the heart of their defence.
They are ready to try and persuade Cahill to make a fresh start abroad next season but face stern competition from some of the top names in the Barclays Premier League.