Arsenal Target Confirms Contact Over Potential £6m Move

With the January transfer now open for business, managers are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of the second half of the season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are  linked with Loic Perrin….

French defender Loic Perrin has revealed that Arsenal have been in contact over a potential £6m move to the Emirates, but no deal has been agreed with St Etienne as yet.

Arsene Wenger has already hinted that he’s in the market for reinforcements at the back after our lack of options in defence was badly exposed during the first half of the season following our inability to bring in a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen in the summer.

Full-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal have both been forced to fill-in at centre-half in recent weeks while Laurent Koscielny continues to battle with his niggling Achilles injury, and the boss has admitted he’s had to overplay Calum Chambers due to his lack of depth at the back.

Thankfully a new defender is expected to arrive this month and Loic Perrin has emerged as a key target with reports last month suggesting that Wenger has placed the French international high on his list of potential January targets.

It seems we’ve now stepped up our interest in the 29-year-old as Perrin has been quoted as saying that Arsenal have made contact with him personally to express their interest but we’re yet to agree a deal with Saint-Etienne.

“I was contacted personally. Arsenal are interested,” he told Le Progres. “But for now, there is still no contact with Saint-Etienne.” Perrin is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

Perrin has been with Saint-Etienne his entire professional career and has made his name as a central defender but is also capable of playing at right-back or even as a defensive midfielder if needed, so his versatility is sure to appeal to Wenger.

The Mirror claim that Saint-Etienne would demand around £6m for his signature so he wouldn’t break the bank if we did push ahead with a deal, while we should still have funds left over to also bring in another midfielder.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news

While some fans are hoping to see a big name like Mats Hummels come in this month, realistically it’s going to be extremely difficult to sign such a player half way through the season.

Perrin may not be the household name people want but he does represent an experienced player who could fill several positions and he’ll also be eligible to play in the Champions League, so he could be a useful addition if we’re able to get a deal agreed in January.