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Arsenal reportedly not looking to make €20m January bid for Serie A defender

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Rai Sports journalist Ciro Venerato does not believe that Arsenal and Inter Milan are currently pursuing Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic.

Italian publication Guerin Sportivo reported last week that the Serbian international could be subject to January bids from both teams, but speaking about the defender’s transfer situation on Radio Crc at the end of last week, Venerato was quoted as saying:

“I do not think that Inter and Arsenal are on Maksimovic, I have no news of this. It may happen in June, but in January it is out of the question as Napoli does not want to lose him. Inter will need to sell to get the figures as I do not think Napoli would sell him for less than €20m.”

With Laurent Koscielny having to be subbed during 2-1 defeat to Watford on Saturday due to a muscular injury, and with Shkodran Mustafi sidelined for a number of weeks with a hamstring problem picked up on international duty, manager Arsene Wenger’s options at centre back have become very limited.

Per Mertesacker scored on his first Premier League start of the season at the weekend, but it means the Gunners may have to rely on either Rob Holding or Calum Chambers to fill the other vacant spot in the back three alongside Nacho Monreal.

Chambers signed a new contract until 2021 last week but has failed to feature in the Premier League this season, and he has missed the last four games with a hip injury.

Whether such injury issues will force Wenger into the January market for a player like Maksimovic, we will have to wait and see.

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