Arsenal are willing to offload club captain and long-serving defender Per Mertesacker on loan this month, according to a report.
The 32-year-old is still several weeks away from regaining full fitness for the Gunners following a season plagued by knee and calf issues.
Mertesacker has not featured for Arsenal since picking up the injury during pre-season in July and is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium at the end of the current campaign.
The Times suggests that the German centre-back is unlikely to play again for the North London outfit this term even if he does overcome his injury struggles, as Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel Paulista are all ahead of him in the pecking order.
It is claimed that Mertesacker has been offered the chance to now depart on loan, where he will be playing for a new contract with the Gunners should he prove his fitness.
Arsenal are unlikely to offload to a Premier League club, however, and will instead only consider offers from abroad.
Daniel Lewis
