According to reports from The Daily Mail, Sunderland are trying to hijack Aston Villa’s pursuit of Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy.
The France right-back has found himself stuck behind Hector Bellerin in the pecking order this season, picking up only two starts in the Premier League, and is desperate to secure regular playing time ahead of next summer’s European Championship on his home soil.
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Aston Villa are known to be courting the 30-year-old, who revealed earlier this month that he’s already held talks with Villains boss Remi Garde, amid their bid for Premier League survival.
But according to The Daily Mail, they now face competition from relegation rivals Sunderland, who are hoping to capitalise on Debuchy’s failure to provide Garde with a final answer over a Villa Park move.
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Manager Sam Allardyce was reportedly in London on Monday night to try and thrash out a deal with Arsenal that will most likely be a six-month loan – allowing Debuchy to reassess his future at the Emirates after Euro 2016.
Billy Jones, Adam Matthews and DeAndre Yedlin have all featured at No.2 for Sunderland this season but most would regard the Gunners wantaway as a significant upgrade.