Benitez puts Arsenal full-back on winter shortlist

Rafa Benitez is contemplating a January move for Bacary Sagna as he looks to solve Napoli’s right-back problem, according to French publication le10sport.

Benitez managed to sign 34-year-old Anthony Reveillere on a free over the summer as a short-term solution, but the Spaniard is eager to bring in a permanent right-back during the winter transfer window that can hold the position down for seasons to come and has sounded Sagna as his ideal man for the job.

Napoli could sign the Frenchman in the New Year for a relatively small fee as his contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Sagna has been at Arsenal since 2007 after transferring from Auxerre, but doubts are starting to creep in at the Emirates whether or not the full-back will stay beyond his current contract as talks over a new deal have suddenly halted.

And while many Arsenal fans wouldn’t mind seeing the 30-year-old leave in January, it would leave Arsene Wenger without an experienced right-back and relying on 21-year-old Carl Jenkinson to fill the gap – unless of course Le Boss has someone lined up to replace Sagna this January.