Inter president admits interest in Sagna

Arsenal right back Bacary Sagna, out of his contract this summer, has an open admirer of his services.  When discussing potential striker options for I Nerazzurri, president Erick Thohir also declared interest in the French international:

Thohir has also admitted Inter want to snap up Bacary Sagna from Arsenal, but suggested the ball is very much in the Frenchman's court.

He said: "He is a player that we like, now it is up to him to decide."

Biased opinion aside, it's been long-agreed by other non-partials that Sagna is one of the better right backs in Europe at the moment.  His age notwithstanding, any club would gladly welcome him into their respective fold; he's just as good in attack as he is closing off the oppositions's left side in attack.  That's not news.

What is news is the silence eminating from Arsenal regarding his status, other than a brief one-sentence comment ifrom Arsene Wenger back n January.  Like most things previous to this contract situations, they're not apt to use the press to shape negotiations.  Far from me to question their internal procedures, this simply is a contract extension that needs to be agreed upon.  Now that Inter have made their interest known, the sooner the better.

As important Theo Walcott is to Mesut Ozil's creative passing, Walcott's not able to bombard forward at will without having the sort of cover behind him, offering protection to stifle any counters coming from that side of the pitch.  Sagna is his backup parachute, his In Case of Emergency Break Glass.  It's not known whether or not Carl Jenkinson will develop into a reliable, every day right back capable of providing the sort of production needed within Arsenal's starting XI at that position and it's still far too early to project Hector Bellerin's floor and ceiling.

With Arsenal in need of finding a holding midfielder and striker this summer (and probably a guy who can play on New Striker's left side), the last thing they need to do is allow Sagna to walk free as they attempt to rebound from a season that's slowly sputtered to a grinding halt.  Here's hoping the two parties have been privately hammering out his extension from a safe enough distance, behind multiple sets of closed doors, away from the media who are willing to air any scant piece of news that can torpedo gentlemen's agreements in a matter of minutes.