Arsenal: Turkish club Besiktas keen on signing Mathieu Debuchy on season-long loan

Mathieu Debuchy could be Arsenal's first contracted player to depart this summer with Turkish club Besiktas interested in signing the out-of-favour defender. The Frenchman spent the second-half of last season on loan with Bordeaux, but could be allowed to leave before the start of next season.

Hector Bellerin is Arsene Wenger's preferred choice at right-back at the moment and is unlikely to be displaced by the French international. Debuchy made just two Premier League starts in the first-half of the season, and made it clear that he wants a move away during the January transfer window.

Manchester United were interested in signing him on a short-term deal to solve their defence crisis, but Arsene Wenger blocked the move to Old Trafford, and instead sanctioned a loan move to Bordeaux. He made nine appearances for the Ligue 1 side before injury ended his campaign with the French club. The right-back also missed out on a place in France's Euro 2016 squad due to the injury.

"Yes, at the end of the transfer window [United] came in," Debuchy confirmed to Canal +. "They contacted my agents. I was disappointed, obviously. If I had the chance to go to Manchester United it would have been magnificent.

"Unfortunately it wasn't the case. I discussed it with the coach too, who said that obviously he couldn't help out a rival."

According to Turkish publication Sabah, Besiktas are keen on signing Debuchy, but are only willing to sign him on a season-long loan with an option to buy the following summer, which will depend on the Frenchman's performances in the upcoming campaign. Wenger is likely to be looking to offload the defender, who is contracted until the summer of 2019, on a permanent basis this summer.