Belgian international, Thomas Vermaelen has been struggling to find his spot in Arsenal’s team. With the World Cup set to unfold just as soon as the football season ends, the 28 year old will have trouble making it to Brazil if things don’t change.

Vermaelen who’s been going through a rough patch for a while now was granted few chances to prove himself but never managed to look capable of unseating Mertesacker or Koscielny. To be fair, the two defenders have some impressive stats on their side which are hard to overlook. According to the Daily Mail, whenever Arsenal has them on pitch during the entire game, losing is not an option. It has been like this for the past two years.

Apparently, being sidelined is not all bad for the Belgian who has caught the eye of Napoli’s manager. Benitez who knows Vermaelen after facing him several times in Liverpool’s and Chelsea’s clashes against Arsenal, is keen on pairing the 28 year old defender with former Real Madrid player, Raul Albiol.

Unfortunately for the Gunner, Wenger snubbed any negotiation with the Italian side and insisted Arsenal need Vermaelen if they want to win the Premier League. This also means rumors of a possible West Ham loan are out of the question.

The Belgian was also linked to Barcelona during the summer. Despite knowing very well that he is not Wenger’s first choice, he still remained faithful to the Emirates club which says a lot about his attachment towards the red and white shirt.