St Etienne defender, Loic Perrin, was ready to complete a move to Arsenal in January after he held ‘serious’ talks with the North London club.
The centre-back was on The Gunners’ radar, but they pulled out of the deal and turned their attentions elsewhere, eventually signing Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal.
In a recent interview, Perrin was discussing the links with Arsenal, and he admitted that if a formal offer came in from the Premier League side, he would have had no hesitation and would have signed for them.
‘There were serious contacts via my agent. I think I was on a shortlist but not at the very top apparently,’ Perrin said.
‘A transfer in this window, it is difficult. But it is difficult to refuse Arsenal. I have always said that if I have to leave St Étienne, one day, it would be for a bigger club, a club that plays Champions League.
‘A club like Arsenal, I don’t think many Ligue 1 players would refuse.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
