After bringing in Chambers and Debuchy to complete the right side of the defense, Arsenal will be looking to sign a left-back to keep Gibbs competitive. Apparently, according to Metro, the defender will have no rival as Monreal is ready to leave for Bilbao. The Spaniard, despite coming to the Emirates while Gibbs was out with injury, failed to acclimatise to the Premier League even with the numerous chances he received. The 28 year old was at his best while playing in Spain. He made his national debut while under contract with Osasuna and was looking rather promising. Unfortunately for him, Gibbs has proven much more useful to the team.

The bad news for Monreal who made most of his appearances while his direct competitor for a spot in the starting line-up was injured, is part of a pretty thin squad. If Wenger does not find at least one replacement for the Spaniard it is hard to believe they will give permission for his exit. With no new targets in sight as far as the left side of the pitch goes, the Gunners will have to find a way to keep the 28 year old. Even if he insisted he is happy to complete his agreement with Arsenal, he cannot be happy with his current situation which has him depending on Gibbs’s physical state. Despite making over 30 appearances since moving from Malaga, he seems to lack motivation which is very likely to be caused by his uncertainty regarding the spot in the first eleven.

So Monreal could be joining Vermaelen as two of the Arsenal players to leave in this window.