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Arsenal transfer news: Search for Bacary Sagna replacement continues amid reports of £9m offer for Atletico Madrid's Juanfran - reports

Juanfran is said to be happy in Madrid and with Sagna set to leave the Gunners next month, Arsenal will have to continue their search for a new right-back

Jack de Menezes
Friday 30 May 2014 12:58 BST
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Arsenal’s reported £9m offer for Atletico Madrid right-back Juanfran has been rejected according to reports, with the club stepping up their search for a replacement for outgoing defender Bacary Sagna.

The Frenchman confirmed that he will be leaving Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of next month, with reports strongly linking him with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City after they offered him a £120,000-a-week contract.

With the 31-year-old set to leave the Emirates, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could look to youngster Carl Jenkinson to step-up and prove he can handle the responsibility of becoming the Number One right-back, but the Mirror claims that Wenger is also looking at Atletico’s Juanfran as a safer alternative.

The 29-year-old was part of the Atletico side that stunned Real Madrid and Barcelona this season as they clinched a first La Liga title since 1996, and pushed their city rivals all the way in a dramatic Champions League final before running out of gas and slumping to a 4-1 defeat in Lisbon – a result that didn’t do Diego Simeone’s side justice for their performance.

Having garnered Wenger’s interest last summer when fears emerged that Sagna could run down his contract and leave for nothing this summer – a possibility that turned into a reality – Juanfran has been linked with a move to the Premier League with the Gunners hopeful £9m would be enough to land the Spaniard.

But it is reported that Juanfran has insisted that he wants to remain in the Spanish capital and has rejected any talk of joining the FA Cup winners, which will force Wenger to continue his search for a right-back elsewhere.

Sagna looks likely to join Manchester City when his Arsenal contract expires

Previous reports had linked Toulouse defender Serge Aurier with a move to north London, although a move is yet to materialise and there could be some doubt over whether the 21-year-old would be ready to replace Sagna should Jenkinson fail to make the grade.

Another option could be Schalke’s Japanese right-back Atsuto Uchida, who is believed to have already been scouted by the club.

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