Defender Hints At Arsenal Move After Confirming Contact Over Potential Deal

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, Loic Perrin confirms contact from Arsenal….

Saint-Etienne defender Loic Perrin has hinted he would find it difficult to reject a move to Arsenal after confirming the Gunners have been in contact to discuss a potential move this month.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed he’s in the market for another defender as our lack of options at the back has been 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 was out through injury, and Arsene Wenger has admitted he’ll need to dip into the market following an injury to Debuchy on Sunday.

Several names have been linked with a move to the Emirates but Loic Perrin has emerged as a realistic target in recent weeks with reports last month suggesting that Wenger had put the 29-year-old high on his wish-list.

It appears we’ve made our interest official as Perrin has now been quoted by L’Equipe as saying that we’ve made contact with his agent and although Saint-Etienne are close to his heart, the centre-back hinted that he’d find if difficult to turn down a club like Arsenal:

“There are always rumours, though Arsenal made enquries and contacted my agent. But Saint-Etienne has always been important, full stop,” 

“I have always said that Saint-Etienne are my club and if I go, it would be to take the next step. When it comes to Arsenal, we are not just speaking about any club.” Perrin told L’Equipe

Perrin has been with Saint-Etienne his entire professional career and although he may not be the big name many Arsenal fans desire, he would offer us an experienced alternative to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny at the back if we were to bring him to North London.

The Frenchman would also be eligible to play in the Champions League and is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder if required, and with a reported price-tag of around €8m, he wouldn’t break the bank either.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news

We’ll have to see how things develop but as it stands, Perrin looks like a realistic target and I think he could be a very useful addition if we can get a deal agreed.