Arsenal haven’t been too fortunate with injuries over the years and this season looks to be following the trend.
Defensively Per Mertesacker has already been sidelined for a spell this season and Mathieu Debuchy, signed from Newcastle in the summer as a direct replacement for the departing Bacary Sagna, has been out since virtually the first kick of the campaign.
The real positive has been the other new recruit, Calum Chambers, who has been on red hot form for club and country this autumn. But some more experienced cover is perhaps required – if nothing else Arsenal manager needs some extra bodies in their – and reports today suggest that the club will try to persuade Borussia Dortmund captain Mats Hummels to join the club in January.
The newly promoted captain of his side has had an extraordinary year, winning The World Cup in Brazil and being courted by some of the biggest teams in Europe – Barcelona and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in the cultured yet solid defender.
But Borussia Dortmund seem adamant that they won;t let the lad go and, crucially, Hummels himself appears happy to stay. He was recently quoted in The Guardian as saying:
“It’s nice to hear that big clubs like that are interested in you,” he said. “I take that as a compliment but it doesn’t influence me in any way, otherwise. We earn enough here in Dortmund.
“There will always be someone who can pay more than BVB but Dortmund have made a lot of progress during my time here. In any case I believe it’s enough for me. If one day I start thinking about playing abroad, money won’t be the reason. I don’t even think about that at the moment. We still have so much further to go here.”
Reading the subtext here, Hummels seems to be leaving the door slightly ajar but is in no rush to leave at all. Arsneal will therefore have a huge battle on to sign the titanic Germany defender any time soon.
Here’s his best bits: