Arsenal are looking at summer replacements for their French full-back Bacary Sagna, who could be leaving the club for greener pastures. The replacement being lined up is Borussia Dortmund fullback, Lukasz Piszczek, who has impressed the world in his team’s recent UEFA Champions League triumph over Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the competition.
The prospect of Piszczek leaving seems difficult, due to the fact that Dortmund are already losing a number of players like Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski. However, Arsenal could be forced to make some changes as they might have to accept Sagna’s departure if the right offer comes in the summer.
Sagna has been a part of the Arsenal setup since 2007, after moving from Auxerre, and quickly established himself as one of the best right backs in the Barclays Premier League. However, recent performances have led to a certain level of criticism from the supporters, and the player seems to be frustrated with the events at the club.
According to Dailymail, the recent departures of Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas to Manchester United and Barcelona respectively have led some core players to believe that it is indeed fruitful to move clubs in search of trophies and fulfilling personal ambitions. The transfer policy of Arsenal and the politics at the board level have had a bad influence on the players, who may lose trust in the board if the club do not match the level of spending with the likes of United and Chelsea.
Another club that has been interested in Sagna’s services is French club Paris Saint-Germain, who have quickly built a side capable of challenging the world’s best teams. Sagna is reportedly open to the prospect of moving back to France, and looking at the pace at which PSG are growing, a potential offer in the summer might be a tempting proposition for the fullback.
A factor which could influence the move is Sagna’s age, being 30. The player could be led to believe that it would be several years before Arsenal build a top side and challenge the top teams for trophies, not an exciting thought for a player who has spent nearly 7 years searching for silverware.