Swansea City’s refusal to lower their £10 million asking price for their captain Ashley Williams could guarantee Thomas Vermaelen, his counterpart at Arsenal, a future at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has identified the 29-year-old as his first-choice defensive reinforcement this summer, but his attempts to complete a deal for the Wales international have thus far been stymied by Swansea’s insistence that they will not negotiate on price.
Arsenal are not prepared to meet Swansea’s valuation and Wenger is ready to walk away from the deal, choosing instead to rely on his current crop of centre halves - Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Vermaelen — for next season.
Wenger would consider offers for Vermaelen, who fell out of favour towards the end