KEY POINTS

  • Wenger is happy with both full-backs leaving the club this month.
  • Serge Gnabry recently hinted at a return to the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger has invited clubs to make offers for Arsenal full-back Mathieu Debuchy but Carl Jenkinson's immediate future at the club is still hanging in the balance.

Debuchy briefly returned to the Gunners' first-team in November but lasted just 16 minutes before he was forced off with a hamstring injury. The former Newcastle United defender has now returned to full fitness but his chances of forcing his way back into the starting XI look bleak.

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In the absence of Hector Bellerin, Wenger has opted to move Gabriel across to right-back and has insisted in recent weeks he is satisfied with the Brazilian's performances in a new position.

And with just five days of the winter transfer window remaining, Wenger stressed the door is still open for Debuchy to move on.

"It has gone quiet because I didn't close the door because there's a lot of competition on the right flank," Wenger told a press conference ahead of the FA Cup fourth-round clash with Southampton. "Now Gabriel has been convincing on the right side as well, so I don't close the door. What I just want to say is that he's fully fit now and so he is available to play and maybe even to have an experience somewhere else."

Having placed his faith in Gabriel to provide cover for Bellerin, Wenger is also prepared to allow Jenkinson to leave this month. Crystal Palace have agreed terms with the Gunners over a temporary switch to Selhurst Park but the 24-year-old has still not agreed personal terms with Sam Allardyce's side.

Mathieu Debuchy
Debuchy is eager to leave the Emirates Getty

"As I said in the last press conference, only he has to agree personal terms," Wenger said. "But at the moment, he has not managed to do that."

Wenger was also quizzed on Germany international Serge Gnabry, who left the club to join Werder Bremen last summer. Gnabry recently refused to rule out a return to the Emirates one day – or a move to Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea – but Wenger played down those chances.

"At the time it looked like Bayern Munich were behind it. I don't really know. No. We have sold Serge Gnabry to Bremen," he said when asked about the 21-year-old.

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