“It’s True” – £6.2m Star Confirms He Almost Joined Arsenal This Summer

The Premier League transfer window may be closed but European clubs can still buy from English teams and managers are planning for the future so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip. Today, Hamza Mendyl confirms he almost joined Arsenal…

Schalke left-back Hamza Mendyl has confirmed he was close to joining Arsenal this summer but work permit issues prevented him from completing a move to north London, according to ESPN. 

Unai Emery made a late foray in to the market to find a new left-back during the final days of the window after Sead Kolasinac was ruled out for two months with a knee injury while Nacho Monreal has also been nursing his own knee complaint in recent weeks.

Mendyl was identified as a target after breaking in to the first team set-up at Lille last season and made 13 appearances before being named in the Moroccan squad for this summers World Cup finals in Russia.

The 20-year-old eventually joined Schalke for £6.2m last week [source: GFFN] and the Bundesliga clubs sporting director claimed that Mendyl would have joined Arsenal if it wasn’t for work permit issues.

The full-back has now confirmed these comments after admitting he was in talks with Arsenal and Newcastle over a summer move and was keen to test himself in the Premier League before work permit problems scuppered his move to England.

Mendyl is quoted as saying by ESPN:

“It’s true: I was in talks with Arsenal and Newcastle. But as a Moroccan citizen it’s not that easy to obtain a work permit. I would have trusted myself to play Premier League,”

Arsenal failed to bring in another left-back before the window slammed shut so midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles was forced to fill-in during the opening weekend defeat to Manchester City.

However, the youngster was forced off midway through the first half after fracturing his leg and is now facing at least two months on the sidelines so Emery has been left short of options at left-back.

Thankfully Monreal is back to full fitness and came through the 90 minutes against Chelsea but if the Spaniard picks up an injury any time soon then Emery will be forced to deploy right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner on the opposite flank.