Can Thomas Vermaelen Get A New Lease Of Life At Arsenal?

Can Thomas Vermaelen Get A New Lease Of Life At Arsenal?

Thomas Vermaelen fell down the pecking order mid-way last season after a few reckless errors in defense which saw him being replaced by Laurent Koscielny at the heart of Arsenal’s defense alongside Per Mertesacker. The duo forged a very strong partnership in the last couple of months which was ultimately instrumental in the Gunners’ late surge towards that last Champions League spot.

While Arsenal collectively enjoyed their top 4 finish, it was personally difficult for Vermaelen, who was forced to participate in the celebrations from the sidelines. With the Mertesacker-Koscielny partnership reaping such huge dividends, it was a given that manager Arsene Wenger would stick with them from the start of next season, and that Vermaelen would have to again content himself with a place on the bench.


This led to rumors stating that the 27-year old is upset and is looking to leave, and this gossip intensified when it was reported that Arsenal are interested in signing Swansea’s Ashley Williams. The 28-year old has a fan in the form of Wenger, who was keen to bring him to the Emirates Stadium in the summer to further strengthen his defense.

All signs were pointing towards an inevitable exit for Vermaelen. However, there has been a dramatic U-turn in this story as it looks like he might, after all, end up staying at Arsenal. It started when Arsenal began their pursuit of Williams and registered their interest with Swansea. However, it was made clear to Arsenal that they will have to meet their valuation of £10 million in order to have any chance of prizing their star defender away.

Wenger was less than impressed with Swansea’s demands as he is still unconvinced on spending that much money on Williams, as he values him at a much lesser fee. DailyMail thus reports that the negotiations have reached a standstill at the moment, with neither side willing to budge from their position. It all seems to be working out well for Vermaelen though, who would very much remain at Arsenal if the deal breaks down completely.

Are you hoping the same? Or do you want to see Williams replace Vermaelen at Arsenal?