Arsenal star Mathieu Debuchy has triggered a transfer battle between Premier League side West Ham and Ligue 1 side Lyon, according to reports in the Express.
The right back has not found life rosy at the Emirates Stadium since joining from Newcastle in 2014. His form and appearances has hampered by injuries.
The Frenchman has Hector Bellerin ahead of him in the pecking order. Gunners boss apparently blocked a move to Manchester United during the winter transfer window before being loaned out to Ligue 1 side Bordeaux where he spent the second half of last season and managed nine league appearances.
The France international does not appear to be in the plans of Wenger for next season despite been contracted to the club until 2019. His recurring injuries made him lose his starting berth to Bellerin, who has been performing excellently well in that position.
However, he seems to have caught the attention of another Ligue 1 club, Lyon during his short spell at Bordeaux.
Lyon are ready to offer him an escape route from his Arsenal nightmares and sign him as a potential replacement for Rafael Da Silva – former Man Utd player- who has been linked with a return to Premier League with West Ham and Everton interested in him.
According to Talk Sport via France Football, Lyon are leading the race to land Debuchy and are planning to offer Arsenal £5 million for the 30-year-old while Bordeaux are also interested in signing him on a permanent deal.
Now fresh reports from the Express claim that Premier League side West Ham are also thought to be interested in his services and are thought to be planning a move in order to strengthen their back line.
Debuchy moved to the Premier League in January 2013, joining Newcastle from French club Lille. He switched to Arsenal in July 2014 for an undisclosed fee believed to worth £12 million.
He won the FA Cup in his first season at the Emirates stadium, even though he injured for a larger part of the season. He made just seven league appearances for the Gunners last season before his loan move to Bordeaux in January.
