Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rejected claims that the Gunners are lining up a £20m bid for Porto full back Ricardo Pereira.
The Daily Star reported yesterday that Wenger was seeking to strengthen his full back positions with the expected departures of Carl Jenkinson and possibly Mathieu Debuchy in the January transfer window. When asked about the club’s possible interest in Ricardo in his pre-match press conference yesterday, Wenger replied with a short, sharp denial:
“No, we are not.”
No offers are currently on the table for either Debuchy or Jenkinson according to Wenger. One manager who had confirmed an enquiry for Jenkinson was Mike Phelan but his departure from Hull City, to be replaced by Olympiakos manager Marco Silva, has meant interest from the Tigers has cooled.
The same looks to be the case in regards to West Ham’s reported interest in Jenkinson. Sky Sports are reporting that the Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is looking to sign Stoke’s Glen Johnson.
With both Jenkinson and Debuchy not close to the exit door, it is unlikely that the Gunners will be looking at replacements during this transfer window.
