According to a recent report by Goal.com, Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier faces an uncertain future at the French capital but has decided to play out the last year of his contract. The same source has revealed that the Belgian international, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal, is not planning to leave Parc des Princes during the January transfer window.
Meunier’s Reluctance To Switch Clubs In January: Big Blow For Emery?
This recent development will come as a hammer blow for the Gunners as they could have benefitted from acquiring Meunier during the winter transfer period. Unai Emery has Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles vying for a right-back berth in his first-team. However, the former is too injury-prone while the latter is still quite inexperienced to play a regular run of games in the Premier League.
Since joining the French champions from Club Brugge in the summer of 2016, Meunier has gone on to feature in 104 matches for PSG, scoring 12 goals while creating 20 assists on all fronts. On the defensive end, the Belgian international made an average of 2.0 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 1.0 clearances per match in the Ligue 1 last season (stats via whoscored).
Meunier is also quite experienced at the international level, having represented Belgium in 37 matches while scoring six goals for his country in the process.
What Will The Belgian Defensive Ace Add To Emery’s Side?
Meunier is a well-rounded full-back who is physically strong and has tremendous endurance to play at a high level for the full 90 minutes. He is a reliable presence when defending inside his own half and can link up play well with others around him.
The North London outfit need to recruit a new full-back soon so that Emery has a strong squad capable of challenging on all fronts during the business end of this campaign. The Gunners lost the UEFA Europa League final to Chelsea last season which ruined their chances of playing in the Champions League this term.
Should Emery Be Patient With His Approach To Bring Meunier To North London?
So it won’t be easy for Emery to lure Meunier to the Emirates Stadium even if the defender was open to making a switch away from Paris when the transfer window reopens in January. For now, the North London giants need to be patient and focus on securing a top 4 finish in the English top-flight this term. Emery should wait until Meunier is a free agent next summer before offering him a chance to seal a move to England.
