Sometimes it’s not the media conjuring up transfer rumors but players themselves, as Saint Ettiene defender Loic Perrin suggests he has been approached by Arsenal, although an official offer to his club hasn’t been made.
Perrin, 29, fits the same mold Arsene Wenger keeps going after, so it does make sense there’s an actual interest here. He’s a central defender with a touch or two of elegance, capable of playing in the midfield as well if necessary.
He has played for Les Verts his entire career, appearing 235 times for the club so far. He has been called up to several national team squads and was on call for the 2014 World Cup, but still hasn’t made an appearance for Didier Deschamps or any other national team head coach.
Arsenal need Perrin? Arsenal need something, and not necessarily a star. But what? Is Perrin the answer to the team’s inconsistency and problems in the back four? It’s always deeper than that. No defensive midfielder (maybe Perrin will play in that role?) of note is possibly a bigger problem.
Perrin isn’t a bad player and has been one of the best centre backs in Ligue 1 for quite some time. But Arsenal seem to always do this, or more accurately, Wenger does. Instead of buying one player to solve all of his problems, he tries to make a surprising capture of a lesser known figure to the masses, hoping that the cheap price tag the player comes with doesn’t affect his ability.
Perrin can score goals (18 in his league career), but the better question about him or any other player Wenger signs – how quickly can he actually influence the club in a positive way. Signing a 29 year old valued at €6 million to bolster the defense might be helpful, but is it going to get Arsenal into the top 4 and the Champions League quarterfinals? It’s going to need more than just this one piece.