Santi Cazorla’s next move announced after confirming Arsenal return intentions
Arsenal fan-favourite Santi Cazorla has only endeared himself to the football world further following his latest transfer to boyhood club Real Oviedo.
The ex-Gunners is a hugely popular figure not just among the Emirates faithful but for many football fans far and wide and his most recent transfer goes a long way to explaining why. Cazorla has penned a one-year deal with Spanish outfit Oviedo, where he spent most of his youth career from 1996 before his 2003 move to Villarreal.
Cazorla is best remembered by English fans for his six-year spell as an Arsenal player, but he also donned the blue and white of Malaga as well as three separate stints at Villarreal and three years with Qatari-based side Al-Sadd.
While he is now well and truly in the last knockings of his playing career at 38 years of age, Cazorla's move to Oviedo has sparked plenty of praise because of the details of his deal. He has joined for free and accepted the lowest wage the Spanish football association permits that he be paid.
According to AS, the minimum salary in the Segunda Division is €77,500-per-year (£66,200), which is what Cazorla will take home for his year's work with Oviedo. The ex-Arsenal ace has even waved his image rights and asked for 10 per cent of all the cash from his shirt sales go straight to the club’s academy.
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A statement from Oviedo confirmed as much, reading: "The new Carbayón footballer, longing for the Oviedista fans, arrives free and signs for a year to go on to collect the minimum professional salary set by LaLiga for the Spanish Second Division.
"In addition, the man from Lugo de Llanera cedes all image rights to his heart’s club with a single condition: 10% of the sale of his shirts will be dedicated entirely to investment in the blue quarry. Santi Cazorla will not make statements until the moment of his official presentation."
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Cazorla's decision to continue his playing career for another year took some by surprise, as it was believed by a section of Gunners supporters that the mercurial midfielder would hang up his boots and return to the Emirates in a coaching capacity sooner rather than later.
The former Spain international himself has previously confessed he'd like to come back to the red half of north London one day.
Speaking to The Athletic in January, Cazorla made it clear that while his chances of an Arsenal return as a player are minimal, he could still come back in an off-field role.
"We’ll see," Cazorla explained. "If I have the possibility to come back, I will be back. I don’t know which position in the club, as a coach or sports director. But of course, I would like to come back in the future."
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