Defender Sead Kolasinac is relying on generosity from his current club, Arsenal, in order to be able to land a move to Watford next month.
The Gunners have undergone a major reshuffle over the past few seasons which has left no space for the Bosnian defender.
Instead, manager Mikel Arteta has put his hopes in young talent and is already reaping the benefits.
Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares are the Spaniard's main option in left-back and the manager appears to have also settled on a back-four, leaving no place for Kolasinac as a left-sided centre-back in a three-man defence.
According to the Evening Standard, relegation-battling Watford are considering a six-month loan deal for the 28-year-old before his contract expires in North London at the end of the season.
However, the deal can only go ahead if Arsenal are willing to subsidise Kolasinac’s £100,000-a-week wages.
Although there could be some slight reluctance from the Gunners, it could be in their best interest to give the defender the helping hand to Vicarage Road.
Kolasinac has made just two Premier League appearances so far this season, playing collectively 91 minutes, and has far from impressed.
Have Your Say! Who do Arsenal need to sell in January ? Comment here.
The opportunity to release some strain from their wage bill and also gain a non-homegrown spot in their 25-man squad could be too good of an offer for Arteta to pass up on.
But Kolasinac is not the only player out of contract at the Emirates Stadium in 2022; Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Calum Chambers are also leaving the club at the end of the season, as it stands.
Losing two strikers in the same transfer window, Lacazette and Nketiah would be a significant hit to Arsenal’s side, especially after the antics of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recently.
The Gabonese forward was stripped of his captaincy last week due to a ‘disciplinary breach’ and has since been frozen out of the team completely, reportedly training by himself for now.
According to football.london, the former Borussia Dortmund is unhappy with how the ordeal was dealt with so publicly and it may have prompted some of Europe to boost their interest in the versatile forward.
Barcelona are said to be interested in Aubameyang, as well as Serie A side Juventus.
However, the priority doesn’t appear to be rebuilding bridges with the former captain, instead, Arteta seems more determined to persuade Nketiah to sign a contract extension at the Emirates.
Speaking after the Englishman bagged a hat-trick against Sunderland in a 5-1 victory in their EFL Cup quarter-final tie, the manager said: “We are trying really hard to do the best that we can. The contract has an expiry date and you cannot control that.
“We have had discussions with Eddie for a long time. He is a player we admire and want to keep. We will continue to do our best to keep him because we want him to be part of our project.”
It remains to be seen whether Nketiah stays at his boyhood club, or whether he will be out the door in January along with Kolasinac.
