Report: Debuchy set for West Brom loan

With the 2016 UEFA European Championship looming and Hector Bellerin safely cemented as Arsenal's starting right back, Mathieu Debuchy hasn't been given an opportunity to get much playing time, let alone get back into form after his lengthy injury layoffs in the last year. Time is running out for Debuchy to wrest his national team starting position back from Manchester City's Bacary Sagna. Debuchy has expressed his frustration at his lack of playing time publicly and Arsene Wenger has made it clear he's willing to let Debuchy leave. So far, the only mooted clubs with interest in the Frenchman have been Lyon and Roma.

Now, a report from Arseblog News suggests West Bromwich Albion, managed by everyone's favorite ballcap-wearing soccer dad Tony Pulis, is the likely destination for Debuchy to try and get his season back on track, saying that Debuchy's loan move to the Baggies is "on the verge of completion."

According to the report, Debuchy could join Arsenal's twenty year old German Serge Gnabry, who has been on loan at the Hawthorns since the beginning of the season but hasn't seen much playing time. Based on some research into the Premier League loan regulations, though, that might not be the case. Here's the rule:

[T]he maximum number of Temporary Transfers to any one Club registrable in the same Season shall be 4 and in no circumstances shall more than 1 be from the same Club at any one time . . . .

Based on our reading of that rule, it seems like we might be seeing Gnabry recalled in order to give Debuchy his shot.

This seems like the right move for Debuchy, giving him a chance to play and get back into a groove before the Euros this summer. Should this go through, we here at TSF wish him the very best of luck!