With January coming up, spending is once again an issue with Arsenal, as the championship race becomes more difficult every week, potentially even losing their top spot this Christmas. Right back is a solid position at the moment with Bacary Sagna, but it might not be for much longer if he doesn’t sign an extension, so Arsene Wenger is looking to Seamus Coleman of Everton as his replacement.
If this signing does actually happen (and according to the Mirror it might), it’ll probably be a summer move, but you never know. Arsenal want Sagna to sign a new contract, but right now the French right back prefers exploring his option. Carl Jenkinson is another player the Gunners have been waiting for to breakout and become a lineup option they have no worries about, but injuries and inconsistency have kept Sagna as the number one player at that position in North London.
The Irish right back has been one of Everton’s best performers this season, scoring 3 goals and adding one assist in 16 league matches. The 25-year old is valued at around £6 million, but with his contract running until 2018, there’s a good chance it’ll become a lot more costly to sign him, with Everton not looking to become a feeder club for the big boys.
Wenger will venture into that territory only if negotiations with the 30-year old Sagna fail. He’s probably not the same defender he was three years ago, but he’s still the number one option at the Emirates mostly because of his ability to blend in well with the attacking game. Coleman is a bit more straightforward in his style, and Arsenal are always about not spending if it’s made possible.
So will this become a January move? Hard to believe, but you never know about the summer. Everton see themselves as a club that can finish in the top 4 considering how things are happening this season, and there’s no real need to sell players at this point. Robert Martinez might think differently at the end of the season, but it’s hard to believe Coleman will be sold unless it’s an offer that’s impossible to refuse – the kind of offers Wenger rarely makes.