Arsenal have been hindered in their chase for defensive recruitments, after Juventus offered Stephan Lichtsteiner a new contract.
The Gunners have had a series of injuries to their back line since the new campaign began.
Mathieu Debuchy has hardly featured since his transfer from Newcastle United in the summer, having suffered a three month injury shortly after making his debut.
Laurent Koscielny has also been unavailable for large swathes of the season.
While Calum Chambers has deputised regularly at both right back and in the middle of the defence, his recent suspension rules him out for Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.
As a result, the Premier League giants were keen to recruit more options in January.
Lichtsteiner’s contractual situation, set to expire next summer, made him an ideal option for Arsene Wenger’s side, but it now seems as though a move for him will be far more difficult.
His agent Federico Pastorello met with managing director Beppe Marotta yesterday to discuss a new deal, according to reports from the Italian press.
This will likely hinder the Emirates Stadium club in signing him, given that they were hopeful of agreeing a pre-contract deal ahead of a free summer swap.
