Gooner Daily

Bacary Sagna has been at Arsenal for as long as I can remember.

At the age of 30 (turning 31 next week), he is regarded as one of the senior players in the squad and he has been through a lot in his seven-year stint with the club. Arriving in the Premier League with a relatively unknown status, the Frenchman worked his way up the food chain in his debut campaign in England, endearing himself into Arsenal hearts and winning a place in the 2008 PFA Team of the Year.

From that moment he set the tone for what has been one hell of a career in North London.

Despite making up a lot of distance further up the pitch to support his attacking winger on a consistent basis whilst performing his defensive duties admirably, Sagna continued to maintain amazing fitness levels and the number of appearances he made in his first four seasons were staggering, in contrast to his recent injury-plagued campaigns.

In his time at Arsenal, the fans have become accustomed to his eccentric hairstyle, his beautiful Ludivine, his optimal fitness levels, amazing work rate, his influence on Carl Jenkinson and most importantly, his unrivaled consistency that has been put in question in recent times. Suffering two broken legs definitely took a toll on Sagna’s fitness and form, but he myst be lauded for trying to come back stronger.

For the first time in a long while, the Gunners managed to keep their key players while getting rid of their deadwood, and they have mounted a remarkable Premier League campaign, leading the log table with 14 games to go. They have also advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup and they have a tasty clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

In recent times, Arsenal has had a mass exodus of players that have left for greener pastures. The departures of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasir, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy and most recently, Robin van Persie, didn’t go down well with the Emirates faithful. When it seemed as if Theo Walcott was going to join the trend, he made a U-turn and signed a long-term deal that would keep him in the club for years to come.

However, it seems as if Bacary Sagna is going to join the trend but plans are in place to retain his services for the long term. Arsenal are set to offer Bacary Sagna a two-year contract extension worth £70,000 per week, but the French right-back is looking for an extra 12 months on top. According to the Mirror, the Frenchman’s future remains in doubt,

“Bacary Sagna is having a fresh round of contract talks as Arsenal make a last-ditch bid to persuade him to remain a Gunner.

Sagna, who turns 31 next week, wants a three-year deal to stay with the league leaders, and so far talks have been deadlocked.”

With the full back linked with big-money moves to AS Monaco, Paris St. Germain, Galatasaray and most recently, Al Alhi of the United Arab Emirates, Sagna will have a big decision to make on the next step in his career this summer. Unlike Robert Lewandowski, Sagna hasn’t signed a pre-contract with any club, so his future still remains on the balance.

According to stats king, WhoScored.com, Sagna has made 26 appearances this season and he averages 1.6 tackles each match, 1.4 interceptions and 0.6 fouls, notching up three yellow cards. He has also registered a goal as well as three assists this season.

With Per Mertesacker gearing himself to sign a new deal, it would be sad seeing a stalwart like Sagna leave on a free transfer. Sagna has been a vital part of the Arsenal defense that has kept 11 clean sheets in the Premier League. Sagna has amassed 265 appearances for the club and I can only hope that he would be able to add to this tally next season but should he decide to seek greener pastures elsewhere, I won’t shed a tear because Arsenal is like the Greek mythical creature, Hydra.

If you take one head out, another pops up.

Sayonara.