Decision time: should Arsenal accept £10m or go for this bizarre swap deal?

When it comes to their defense, Arsenal are in a rather curious position.

Whilst they’ve got two of the best centre-backs in the Premier League in the form of both Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, beyond these two, their options are limited.

The Frenchman and the German are in fine form at the moment and work particularly well together. But what if one of them were to get injured? What if one of them were to pick up a long term ban (Koscielny isn’t shy when it comes to red cards, is he?)?

The Gunners would need to turn to their third-choice centre-back, who at the moment, is Thomas Vermaelen. The big Belgian bruiser once held a formidable reputation, but his stock has begun to dwindle in recent times.

For the last season or so he’s been warming the bench, waiting for a moment to prove himself – a movement that has never arrived thanks to the partnership of Koscielny and Mertesacker.

But despite his form and fitness issues, there’s no doubt that he’s an important player for The Gunners. You can’t get through an entire Premier League season with just two centre-backs.

So what should we make of Manchester United’s interest in Vermaelen? With The Mirror claiming that he’s a £10m target for The Red Devils, what should Arsene Wenger do?

It would be foolish to sell Vermaelen without bringing another option in. Luckily, The Mirror have proposed a solution. They claim that Arsene Wenger has Phil Jones and Chris Smalling in his sights and that a swap deal could be on the cards.

Of the pair, Jones looks like the most viable option. He’s hugely versatile, as he’s able to play anywhere across the defense or directly in front of the back-four. As a result of this flexibility, it’s easy to see him breaking into this Arsenal team.

It’s also worth noting that Jones is only 22-years-old. He’s still got quite a bit of developing to do and he could blossom into quite a player. Despite his youth, he’s still managed to accrue 104 appearances for Manchester United, providing him with plenty of experience at the top level.

With that in mind, perhaps this swap deal would make sense from Arsenal’s point of view. It will be interesting to see if Manchester United feel the same way.

What’s your take? Would you trade Thomas Vermaelen for Phil Jones or vice-versa?

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