Arsenal Close To Signing Serge Aurier

Bacary Sagna has been a fantastic right back for Arsenal over the last seven years, but he has made his intention to leave this summer common knowledge. With his contract at an end he can leave on a free transfer and he is sure to have a host of clubs looking to sign him. Unfortunately from an Arsenal perspective it's not going to be easy to replace him and it won't be cheap either.

Arsenal offered Sagna a new contract but he chose to leave and he will earn more elsewhere I'm sure. A new three year contract would probably have cost Arsenal up to €20 million in wages, but a replacement is bound to cost more between wages and a transfer fee. It won't be easy to replace a player of Sagna's ability, commitment and determination, but it can of course be done. I don't think Carl Jenkinson is quite up to the job on a permanent basis yet and he will probably remain as an understudy to whoever the club sign.

The name which keeps coming up again and again is Serge Aurier and from what I've seen of him he looks like he would be a very good purchase. The Toulouse and Ivory Coast defender was in the team of the season in the French League and looks set to put himself in the shop window at the World Cup which starts next week. He's been quoted as wanting to play for Arsenal and according to this Daily Mail article he even told a fan he will be joining Arsenal.

Arsenal aren't the only team interested in his services though and there are suggestions Liverpool will try to sign the player before Arsenal. If he is so keen to come to Arsenal then surely they should move quickly and sign him before the World Cup starts. Once the tournament has started it will be a lot harder to sign players and the club will more than likely have to wait until it's over to do their business.

The summer break might seem like it's long to us fans but once the World Cup is over the team will be back to pre season training pretty quickly. With a Community Shield and the final round of the Champions League qualifiers to play Arsenal need to get their squad sorted out as soon as possible. A signing before the World Cup begins would send out all the right signals about the clubs intentions this summer. Hopefully Aurier can be that player and go on to become as good for the club as Sagna was.

I don't hold a grudge against Sagna for leaving, but I would be far from happy to see him playing for another Premier League club next season. Hopefully he will decide his future lies outside of the English game and the only way he will play against Arsenal will be if his new team draw them in the Champions League. The blow of him leaving would certainly be softened if Aurier was to take his place and the sooner the better. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.