French newspaper L’Equipe have an article in their Tuesday edition on Mathieu Debuchy and his fall from grace at Arsenal. It’s explained that when Debuchy moved to Arsenal it will have been with dreams of playing in big matches against rivals like Tottenham, but not playing for the club’s reserve side against Spurs.
L’Equipe say that during the 2015 summer transfer window, Manchester United had offered Debuchy a five year contract if he moved to them. The Frenchman was then 29 or 30 years old (depending on which part of the summer it was) and such a contract would have been an extra year compared to what he has at Arsenal.
However, Wenger blocked the move, believing Manchester United to be a direct rival. This was the same summer Jose Mourinho was so angered when Chelsea sold Petr Cech to Arsenal, a rival.
Debuchy is described as a ‘devil in a cage’ and L’Equipe say the defender was left surprised when, with Bellerin injured, Carl Jenkinson was picked first.
Given the situation, a winter transfer is looking on the cards, as long as Wenger doesn’t block a move again.
