France international’s present deal in the capital runs out next summer.
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Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger has identified Borussia Dortmund right-back Lukasz Piszczek as the man to replace Bacary Sagna at the Emirates next summer, according to reports in the Mail on Sunday.
The Frenchman is understood to already be planning for the future in north London and with his in-demand France international’s current contract in the capital set to expire on June 30 2014, Wenger has earmarked the highly rated Dortmund defender to be Sagna’s successor at the club.
Sagna very nearly left the Gunners during the recent close-season transfer window after refusing Arsenal’s offer of a new contract to stay at the club beyond next summer, with the attacking full back having drawn plenty of interest in his services from across the Continent.
In fact, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray were all reportedly keen on signing the Frenchman, only for Sagna to agree to see out the final year of his current deal at Arsenal this season, before then leaving on a free transfer next year.
All of which means that Wenger has been busy planning for Sagna’s imminent Arsenal exit, with the manager set to move for Dortmund’s experienced Poland international in 2014.
The one stumbling block, however, to Arsenal’s pursuit of the 28-year-old is that Piszczek is contracted to the Bundesliga giants until 2017, and so any deal to sign the right back may not be easy to negotiate.