Arsenal look set to lose the race to sign Le Havre’s French youngster Benjamin Mendy, after the French club confirmed an agreement with Arsenal’s fellow Premier League side Sunderland, who seem to have a deal in place.

The Gunners have been heavily involved in this summer’s transfer market, as they try and add more quality to their injury struck squad. The current squad requires an injection of new quality players, and more so to add depth to the side, with multiple competitions to contest next season. Arsene Wenger has been very unlucky in terms of injuries, which seem to have hampered his master plan, which began with younger players who are now regular squad professionals.

Arsenal have maintained a policy of identifying talent at a young age, and bringing them to an environment where they can play with similar players and battle it out for the senior side. Such has been the case of many youngsters like Jack Wilshere, who was introduced slowly to the senior squad after years of development at the Arsenal youth academy. Wenger had Wilshere in mind to occupy the playmaker’s spot in the side, but injuries have left the boss frustrated so far by the periods of inactivity Wilshere has had to endure but he knows these things do happen in football and has always reassured his young star.

Mendy is another fine young player who has been plying his trade at Le Havre, after spending years at the club’s youth academy. Arsenal have a cause for concern at the lack of depth they have in defense, as they currently have many potential questions in the full-back positions. Andre Santos was bought by the club to solve the left back problem in 2011 and take the weight off Kieran Gibbs as was Carl Jenkinson with Bacary Sagna, but Santos was sent out on loan to Gremio so Wenger moved swiftly in the last hours of the January window to sign Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal from Malaga. Sagna is in the last year of his contract and has been prone to injury in recent seasons and Kieran Gibbs has had numerous injuries and as a result missed matches in the past few campaigns plus Carl Jenkinson is still establishing himself in the League.

So there are definite questions about the depth of the defense and Wenger looks like he wants to have options AND depth ensuring that he does not have a repeat of last season. From having only one recognized left back, Arsenal now have two (+1) in Gibbs and Monreal plus Santos then two current right-backs in Jenkinson and Sagna so bringing in Mendy would release some pressure from the shoulders of the squad’s full-backs and the center backs, adding youthful depth and relieving other players who have been covering in the full-backs’ positions during the numerous absences due to injury.

Sunderland had a torrid last season, and have been revitalized with new manager Paulo Di Canio, who has been busy instilling new faith in the side, setting up signings such as the Mendy deal.

According to DailyMail, Le Havre president Jean-Pierre Louvel confirmed the reports around the proposed Mendy deal.

The president said, “We have reached agreement with Sunderland for the transfer of Mendy.”

“It’s now up to him to reach an agreement with them. We are okay.”

“We were close to an agreement with Lyon, it has not happened but you never know,” he said.

“Right now, the only club we are in agreement with is Sunderland and it is now up to Benjamin Mendy to make his choice.”

So it seems Arsenal will have to work very quickly if they wish to scupper the Sunderland deal and bring the talented Benjamin Mendy to the Emirates