Transfer Rumour: Arsenal set to rekindle interest in Thomas Meunier

Arsenal are reportedly set to reignite their interest in Thomas Meunier, who is in the final year of his contract with PSG.

According to a report by Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, as carried out by TransferMarketWeb, Thomas Meunier has emerged on the radar of Arsenal once again. The Belgian full-back is out of contract at PSG in the summer transfer window and could join a new club on a free transfer.

Meunier joined PSG from Club Brugge in the summer of 2016 and has since made steady progress in his career. A mainstay in the Belgian national side, the 28-year-old was a regular member of the squad that finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

At club level, though, Meunier has been in and out of the side over the last four years or so. The same has been prevalent this season, with the player starting 24 of the 44 games that PSG have played this season. And, as he enters the final couple of months of his contract at Parc des Princes, it is expected that a summer move away from the club beckons. Arsenal are interested in Meunier.

The interest from Arsenal makes some sense. Hector Bellerin has been the first-choice right-back for the Gunners for quite some time now. The Spaniard, though, has been hampered by injuries in the last few years, which has invariably affected his form.

In such a scenario, there is very little in terms of backup options, especially with Ainsley Maitland-Niles failing to impress Mikel Arteta. In fact, of late, Sokratis Papastathopoulos has been preferred as a makeshift right-back, especially with Cedric Soares, who joined Arsenal on loan in January, being out on the sidelines.

With Cedric not certain to join Arsenal on a permanent deal in the summer, Arteta needs to keep his options open, considering Maitland-Niles could be on his way out of Emirates in the summer. Meunier is, thus, a viable target for Arsenal, with Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t TransferMarketWeb) claiming that the north Londoners have rekindled their interest in him.

Arsenal, though, could have an uphill task convincing Meunier to join them, seeing as Borussia Dortmund are being heavily linked with a move for the player as well. After all, the Gunners might not be able to offer Champions League football, something that Meunier could enjoy at Dortmund.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Arsenal can steal a march on Dortmund in the race to sign Meunier in the summer transfer window. If not, it will be interesting to see who they turn their attention towards to bolster the right-back slot.