Published: 3 August, 2012

ARSENAL are expected to take their summer spending spree to almost £40million within the next 48 hours by signing Spanish international Santi Cazorla.

Arsene Wenger is ready to invest close to £17million for the Malaga star, who is due in London to complete a medical over the weekend.

Wenger has reportedly been tracking the 27-year-old for around 18 months, and almost signed him last summer when he was playing for Villarreal.

If Arsenal can agree what would be a new club record fee to capture Cazorla it would continue a startling summer for fans who are not used to seeing Wenger splash the cash.

The Frenchman has already spent almost £23million bringing in strikers Lukas Podolski from Cologne and Olivier Giroud from Montpellier.

It’s unlikely that Wenger’s squad strengthening will stop there as he also looks to complete a loan move for Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old Turkish international has struggled to break into Jose Mourinho’s starting line-up but is still believed to have a bright future at the Bernabeu once he’s gained some much-needed first-team football.

l Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes that he has already seen enough in pre-season to safely say that a return to glory is well within Arsenal’s reach. “This club always has the same aim – and that’s winning trophies,” said Szczesny. “We obviously haven’t done it in the last few years and that’s disappointing for the players and the fans but I believe we will be that little bit stronger.”