Following his well-taken volley for Arsenal’s u23 side on Friday afternoon, questions about Mathieu Debuchy’s future at the Emirates has already begun to circulate.
The 31-year-old right-back had been linked with a summer move to both Turkey and France but any potential deal was blocked at the time, and now it appears that Serie A side Roma are interested in the Frenchman’s services.
They have struggled with injuries to key personnel this term and Alessandro Florenzi, their first-choice right-back, has been sidelined until the end of April with a ruptured cruciate ligament injury.
Bruno Peres, currently on-loan from Torino, doesn’t always exude defensive stability nor confidence out of possession whilst makeshift replacements are far from ideal as Luciano Spalleti aims to strengthen his side’s chances of a proper Serie A challenge this season.
With that in mind, the links with a potential Debuchy move are understandable. He has plenty of experience at the top level, and would represent a relatively low-risk acquisition for the Giallorossi if they were to make a formal approach in January.
Currently third-choice behind Carl Jenkinson and Hector Bellerín at right-back, it’s clear that Debuchy needs to assess his career options this winter if he wants to be playing competitive football on a regular basis.
If a potential deal was to be made, an upfront offer in the region of £5m could be on the cards. Alternatively, a loan move (with option to buy) could be made, and it’d be hard to justify Debuchy staying if the right offer comes in for his services.