Confirmed – Arsenal Interested In £80,000-A-Week CB

Ahead of Sunday’s clash between Manchester United and Arsenal, news have filtered in that the Gunners were keen on Red Devils’ centre-back Chris Smalling 2010 and reignited that interest when Louis van Gaal took over as manager of the Red Devils in 2014, as per the London Evening Standard.

Smalling, who is presently in his best form for Man United, joined the Manchester-based club from Fulham in 2010.

But things could have changed had it been United had not offered £10m to Fulham for Smalling’s services, something which made Arsenall pull out of the race to sign the England international.

Now the aforementioned source is claiming that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made another enquiries about the availability of Smalling again in the summer of 2014 when Louis van Gaal joined the Mancunian Reds as manager, with the futures of some of the club’s players up in the air at that time.

Smalling, 25, has formed a formidable central defence partner with Daley Blind, who has been operating as a makeshift centre-back since the beginning of the season, as Phil Jones was out with mild thrombosis.

The England defender has helped United record four clean sheets in their first seven league games of the season, and could do so again on Sunday when Arsene Wenger’s men welcome the Mancunian Reds to the Emirates stadium.