Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger readying £6m move for Saint-Etienne defender Loic Perrin

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a shock move for Saint-Etienne captain Loic Perrin in the upcoming January transfer window.

According to the Mirror, Arsene Wenger has been impressed with the defenders recent performances and is keen to bring him in as cover for Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.

Perrin has spent his entire career at the Ligue 1 club after joining them as a 12-year-old in 1997. He has made a total of 227 appearances for the club.

The 29-year-old defender mainly plays at centre-back for his club, but he can also play as a defensive midfielder and on occasion at right-back.

This ability to play in multiple defensive positions is one of the factors that attracted the attention of the Gunners boss, who is on the market for a defensive midfielder and a central defender due to the injury troubles that have plagued Arsenal this season.

The north London club have not been able to play their first-choice back four since the start of September, due to the injury sustained by Mathieu Debuchy and following his recovery, it was Laurent Koscielny, who suffered an Achilles injury that has kept him out for over a month.

The injuries have cost Arsenal dearly as the club find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League, 15 points behind leaders Chelsea.

The French manager has indicated earlier in the season, that he will bring in at least a defender during the January transfer window to provide cover in case of further injuries and now seems to have identified the versatile Perrin as the player he wants to sign.

The Saint-Etienne skipper is contracted to the Ligue 1 club till the summer of 2018, but will be available to the Gunners for a fee of around £6m.