Arsenal

Arsenal Open Talks Over £7m Deal For Ligue 1 Ace

Arsenal have opened talks with Toulouse over a £7m deal for defender Serge Aurier with the Ivory Coast international eyed as a replacement for Bacary Sagna

by
Gooner Mac
May 13, 2014

As we approach the opening of the summer window clubs will be intensifying their efforts in the transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Gooner Mac brings us news of Arsenal opening talks for Serge Aurier.

Arsenal have opened talks with Toulouse over a £7m deal for highly-rated defender Serge Aurier with the Ivory Coast international eyed as a replacement for Bacary Sagna, according to reports today.

Sagna is out of contract in June and we’ve so far been unable to agree terms over an extension, despite holding lengthy negotiations with his representatives over the past few months.

The French international confirmed over the weekend that he has been unable to reach an agreement with the club and claimed he doesn’t see himself at Arsenal next season. He said:

“I’m out of contract, as everyone knows. I still consider myself as an Arsenal player at present,”

“But actually we had a small problem to agree with the club, and I don’t think I’ll stay at Arsenal at the end of the season.”

[source: ESPN]

So unless we find a breakthrough in the next couple of weeks, it looks like Sagna will be leaving after Saturday’s FA Cup final against Hull City and Arsene Wenger will need to bring in a new right-back this summer.

It appears we’ve already made our move for a possible replacement with Goal claiming we have now opened talks with Toulouse over a £7m deal for Serge Aurier after the boss made the Ivory Coast international his number on target.

Aurier has supposedly impressed scouts this year and with the youngster able to play anywhere across the back-line, his versatility is sure to have been attractive to Arsene Wenger, and the report suggests he wants the deal tied-up before the World Cup kicks off in mid-June.

The 21-year-old looks as though he’d be an excellent replacement for Sagna as he has pace, power and an eye for goal with the player chipping in with six goals and six assists in the league this season. His adventurous displays down the right flank saw him named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, and they may just have earned him a dream move to the Emirates too.

Aurier is a self-confessed Arsenal fan and posted pictures of himself wearing an Arsenal shirt while on holiday last summer, so I’m sure he’d jump at the chance of making the move to North London if we can agree a deal with Toulouse.