Carl Jenkinson Desperate For Arsenal Opportunity

Arsenal full back Carl Jenkinson is confident he is ready to fill the void left by Bacary Sagna when the full back leaves north London this summer.

French international Sagna looks set to bring an end to his seven year spell at the club after failing to agree a new deal and is likely to join former teammates Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy at Manchester City.

Sagna's departure will likely prompt the arrival of another right back this summer with Toulouse starlet Serge Aurier heavily linked with a move having made no secret of his admiration for the Gunners and Arsene Wenger.

But 22-year-old Jenkinson has urged his manager to forget about bringing in a long-term replacement for Sagna and hand him the starting role on the right hand side of defence.

"I feel I am ready for it," Jenkinson told the Evening Standard. "It is never going to be easy to nail down that spot, but I believe in myself and I believe in my ability.

"I want that position to be mine for years to come. Of course I have got a long way to go because this is a club who look for the best players in the world.

"If I am going to hold down the position for as long as I want to, I have got a lot of hard work on my hands. But I believe in myself.

"I am the sort of player who needs to play regularly to get the best out of met. My fitness and athleticism is a big part of my game, getting up and down the pitch.

"It is difficult to show what I can do when I am not playing regularly because it is hard to get into a rhythm."

Jenkinson is looking ahead to his fourth season with Arsenal but such has been the unwavering consistency of Sagna, the full back has made just 37 league appearances for the club since his arrival from Charlton Athletic. However, the defender insists the option of leaving the club either on loan or permanently - has never crossed his mind.

"As far as I'm concerned, you will have to drag me out of this club before I leave. I will work my socks off and hopefully next season can be a big one for me.

"If I have a good pre-season, work my way into the team and get a good run of games, there will be no holding back."