Meet the Atleti man Arsenal want to get the best from Debuchy

They’ve not quite signed off on Mathieu Debuchy yet, but Arsenal are thought to be getting close to a loan deal – with a view to buy next summer – for Atletico Madrid’s 20-year-old right-back Javier Manquillo, who was on the verge of joining Marseille.

Alexis Sanchez’s £35m move from Barcelona went through yesterday and France’s number one right-back Debuchy is on the verge of replacing his international understudy Bacary Sagna at the Emirates, but Arsene Wenger’s transfer liberation won’t stop there.

Wenger’s spending shackles were removed by the Emirates paymasters last summer with the £42.5m purchase of Mesut Ozil, and a similar combined outlay for Sanchez and Debuchy will be the final confirmation that the Gunners are indeed as liquid as they claim.

However, the veteran French coach clearly still loves a bargain, with reports emanating from Spain that former La Roja Under-20 star Manquillo’s loan move to Marseille has stalled amid interest from north London.

Manquillo is a deputy in demand after covering manfully for La Seleccion World Cup debutant Juanfran in three La Liga fixtures and one Champions League match last term, with Atleti winning three times and banking two clean-sheets when the local boy made the teamsheet.

Arsenal were reportedly interested in going for Southampton’s Calum Chambers, who could swap competing with Nathaniel Clyne at St Mary’s for potential Champions League game-time, but the Saints are reluctant to lose any more of their first-teamers.

Manquillo’s loan move, should it come to fruition, would surely signal the end at the Emirates for Carl Jenkinson, the one-cap Englishman who started eight of Arsenal’s first 16 all-competition games in 2013/14, but made the teamsheet just six times after October.

Jenkinson has been mentioned as a possible makeweight, along with Costa Rica World Cup star Joel Campbell, in Debuchy’s move south from St James’ Park, although it’s as yet unclear whether Newcastle want the former Charlton man as part of any deal.

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