Arsenal are reportedly looking to make a January move for AS Saint-Étienne captain Loïc Perrin as manager Arsene Wenger looks to sign a new defensive midfielder in the winter transfer window.
Wenger, who has had to deal with a number of injuries this season, being forced to play left-back Nacho Monreal alongside Per Mertesacker in the heart of the defence at times, is reportedly very eager to land Perrin in January as the 29-year-old is very versatile, capable of playing in a number of positions including right-back, centre-back and defensive midfield.
Apart from that, Perrin, who is primarily a centre-back, is also available for only £6million, a very cheap price considering the Frenchman's abilities.
Although Wenger was originally believed to be interested in signing Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin in the January transfer window, he had to look at other alternatives after Saints boss Ronald Koeman refused to let go of any of his players next month.
Due to this reason, the 65-year-old Frenchman is now interested in Perrin, who apart from being very versatile is also very experienced, having played in the Ligue 1 for over a decade.
Meanwhile, Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy insists that his teammates should not lose their temper on the pitch though he says that he can empathise with Olivier Giroud, following the striker's sending off against QPR.
The French striker was shown a straight red after he angrily reacted to a shove by defender Nedum Onouha during the Gunners' 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers on Boxing Day.
This red card means that Giroud will be suspended for the next three matches, and Debuchy says that he can empathise with his international teammate, having faced a similar situation when he was sent off at Newcastle earlier this season.
"He did not speak in the dressing room [after the QPR game]. It is a hard moment for him," said Debuchy. "I know that from before when I was at Newcastle. I was sent off, so have been in the same moment."
Despite admitting that it is very difficult to be calm all the time, the former Newcastle man feels that they need to act like professionals and control their temper on the pitch.
"It is difficult [to keep your cool sometimes], but we are professionals and we need to keep calm. Everybody has a temper, so it is not always easy to stay calm, but we need to keep calm."
