Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with Juventus regarding defender, Stephan Lichsteiner, with the Swiss international entering the final few months of his contract.
The 30-year-old will be out of contract in the Summer, and due to the Bosman Ruling, Arsenal could hold formal talks with the right-back as soon as January, meaning he could agree a deal with them in principle, before moving on a free in June.
However, due to their defensive crisis, Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign the right-back in January and is ready to open talks with Juve regarding a fee.
The Serie A champions are keen to hold on to Lichsteiner, who’s been at the club since 2011, but with no contract talks planned, they know they could lose the veteran.
Arsenal aren’t the only team monitoring the Swiss’ contract situation, as both Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have also shown interest in the 30-year-old.
The Gunners currently have five fit first-team defenders available after injuries to Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny, and Wenger sees Lichsteiner as the perfect short-term replacement.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
