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Saint Etienne defender Loic Perrin has revealed his regret that a move to Arsenal failed to materialise in the January transfer window.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was pondering a list of several defensive targets before opting to sign Gabriel Paulista in an £11.2million deal from Villarreal.
Perrin pushed for a move to Emirates Stadium throughout last month but it is understood that Arsenal never made a formal offer for the 29-year-old and only regarded him as one of a number of alternatives - including West Ham’s Winston Reid - should they fail to secure Gabriel.
However, Perrin is leaving Arsenal in no doubt of his desire to leave France should Wenger decide to strengthen his backline again at the end of the season.
Show all 11 1 /11Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Hugo Lloris Undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in north London and a contender for No 1 in the Premier league, Lloris would stroll into the side and likely take the captain’s armband with him. Is this his last north-London derby? If Spurs miss out on Champions League football again this season, then the answer will lean towards yes – unless you believe the rumours linking him with a shock move to the Emirates.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Hector Bellerin Possibly the best option of a tricky situation. The other candidates don’t offer a great deal in protection given the recent form of Kyle Walker and Calum Chambers, and Bellerin’s crossing prowess would likely merit inclusion anyway. However, the Spaniard’s beautiful finish in the 5-0 thrashing of Aston Villa last Sunday sees him rewarded with a place in our best XI – and likely in Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Jan Vertonghen Vertonghen’s future is much in the same boat as Lloris’s in that failure to break into the top four could result in his departure. However, Vertonghen has been a prominent figure in a much-changed since his arrival in 2012, and he also has a knack of getting forward and scoring goals himself – despite having two taken away from him in the 2-1 win over Sunderland – but it will be his ability to maintain the likes of Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla that will be needed on Saturday.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Laurent Koscielny Arsenal’s best defender by far has only increased his worth with his performances since returning from injury. The Gunners suffered without his pace at the back and instinct to stop moves before they begin, and if he was to partner Vertonghen in the same defence, we reckon it would be a pretty hard task to create any chances, let alone score a goal.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Kieran Gibbs The Englishman hasn’t had a solid run in the first-team due to injuries and rotation, but when he’s fully fit he offers Arsenal solidity on the left flank as well as an extra attacking option going forward. Danny Rose would offer more of a threat with the ball, especially with memories of his stunning striker in this fixture five years ago.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Aaron Ramsey The Welshman hasn’t been at his best of late but that’s only due to the high standards he set last season where he enjoyed an brilliant run of games in front of goal. Part of that is due to dropping back from the advanced role he played in, but he remains a crucial part of the Arsenal side and when at his best can be very hard to stop from having a major influence on the result.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Santi Cazorla One of the in-form players in the Premier League scored his sixth goal in eight games against Villa last week, and his incredible form has helped the Gunners reignite their campaign at a crucial time. Such is his impressive form that he comfortably keeps Mesut Özil out of the side.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Theo Walcott His place in the side would likely go to Alexis Sanchez if he was fit, but Walcott’s return to action in recent weeks has seen a marked improvement in his last two outings against Bright and Hove Albion and Villa in which he scored his first Premier League goal in over a year. Spurs fans won’t be too kind to Walcott come Saturday though, given the last time they saw him he was giving them a 2-0 scoreline while being carried off on a stretcher.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Christian Eriksen Spurs’ saviour has developed a Gareth Bale-esque knack for scoring crucial and often match-winning goals in the last 10 minutes of games. Not only that, but he’s starting to forge a talent for scoring free-kicks all angles that is proving fruitful for Spurs, especially in their recent up-turn in form. The Dane’s partnership with Harry Kane is a key reason for both players’ success this term.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Olivier Giroud The Frenchman suffered injury at the start of the season, and when he returned to spark the Gunners into life, he got needlessly sent-off for a head-butt on Nedum Onouha in the win over QPR. However, he has returned, yet again, to score important goals against Liverpool, Manchester City and Villa, and will hope to continue that in the north London derby.
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Tottenham v Arsenal Best XI Harry Kane The red-hot Englishman couldn’t be left out of this side, could he? Kane scored a brace against West Brom last weekend to take his tally to 20 goals for the season, and stands as the top goalscorer in all competitions of any Premier League player. His ability to take his chances as and when they came about forced Mauricio Pochettino to select him in his starting line-up, and he’s fully repaid his manager’s faith by his rocketing goal tally.
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“There were serious contacts via my agent. I think I was on a shortlist but not at the very top apparently,” he told French outlet ‘BUT!’
“A transfer in this window, it is difficult. But it is difficult to refuse Arsenal. I have always said have if I have to leave St Etienne, one day, it would be for a bigger club, a club that plays in the Champions League.”
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