Arsenal out to make Ligue 1 free agent a Premier League star
Published:Arsenal may not have much of a track record for recruiting world-class defenders from Eastern Europe but that could change if Nemanja Pejcinovic secures an Emirates switch.
Gooners still shudder at the very mention of former flops like Igor Stepanovs or Oleg Luzhny but things could be about to change amid reports linking them with the 26-year-old Nice player.
Arsene Wenger is likely to be in the market for a new defender too with club captain Thomas Vermaelen linked with a summer move away from the north London club having fallen out of favour this season.
And Pejcinovic could prove to be the ideal low-cost replacement having opted against signing a new contract at Nice, with the defender now available on a free transfer.
The player may have impressed for the Ligue 1 side but after a season spent struggling at the wrong end of the table, he is looking for a fresh start.
Things were hardly helped last term when Pejcinovic received a fine from the club after accepting a call-up to a Serbia B team friendly.
Speaking on the official Nice website however, the 26-year-old took time to thank Nice’s fans and explain why a move away from the French club was required.
“My current ambitions are currently higher than what the club can offer me today,” he explained.
“I have always wanted to play in the Champions League or at least in some other European competition. It is a dream I have had since I was little.”
A move to Arsenal would allow him to achieve that aim, while helping the Gunners to plug a potential gap in their squad that could be left should Vermaelen exit.
Move to the Emirates and Pejcinovic could help Gooners all over the world finally erase memories of Stepanovs and that 6-1 mauling at the hands of Manchester United all those years ago.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
