Arsenal are planning a shock summer move for Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, Goal understands.

Arsene Wenger has begun planning for next season, despite not yet signing a new deal that has been agreed since last October, following a meeting with chief executive Ivan Gazidis at the club's training ground on Monday.

Wenger has been a long-term admirer of Smalling and attempted to buy the England international before he chose to sign for Manchester United from Fulham in January 2010.

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15/2 Hull City are 15/2 with PaddyPower to score two or more second-half goals against ArsenalDespite suffering a series of injuries that have hampered his progress, Smalling, 24, has made 120 appearances for the Red Devils without ever fully establishing himself as a first-team regular.

Recently, Smalling was disciplined by the club after he was caught partying in Manchester city centre while he was out injured and manager David Moyes, who stepped up his summer rebuilding project with a midweek trip to Portugal, believes that the versatile defender could be surplus to requirements.

Arsenal are willing to step in and pay up to £12 million for Smalling, whose current £52,000-a-week salary would fit comfortably into the Londoners' rigid wage structure.

The Gunners have identified the England man as a potential replacement for Bacary Sagna, who is out of contract in the summer and is yet to commit his future to the club amid interest from Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter and Monaco.

Club captain Thomas Vermaelen is also set to reassess his future after the World Cup having lost his starting place as a result of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny's impressive form at the heart of Arsenal's defence this season.

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No way we're signing him to replace Sagna. I think he has a lot of potential though.

He would be an ideal replacement for Vermaelen though.

Smalling is better than Vermaelen.

He's very talented but he's stagnated badly. It obviously hasn't helped him being played out of position but I'd take him if we could.

I don't think he's better than Vermaelen.

I don't really know what to make of Smalling. He used to look like a pretty special talent but United seem to have developed him poorly. The best thing for him right now would be to go to a club where he will get games regularly as a centreback.

Klaus wrote:

I don't think he's better than Vermaelen.

I don't really know what to make of Smalling. He used to look like a pretty special talent but United seem to have developed him poorly. The best thing for him right now would be to go to a club where he will get games regularly as a centreback.

Arsenal, after we sell Kos to Liverpool.

Im not sure about him, he has cost Utd a shitload of goals this season. Little bit Bambi on ice at times.

This looks suspiciously like an agent trying to get a raise for him though.

He's a good defender (monster in the air), but quite poor/average on the ball. I prefer Evans but he is always injured.

Rafael is the guy to go for if we are looking for a RB

I don't often write young players off but this guy is seriously shit. Very shit. Everytime I've seen him for Man Utd he has been shit. He's very shit at RB, mildly shit at CB. Stay the fuck away, Arsene.

remember us going for him when he was at fulham but he chose united.

Like Phil Jones has struggled a lot with injuries which has harmed his development. Looked a top CB in the making at Fulham

Think the game has changed a fair bit in the past few years and guys like jones and smalling aren't the type of player you want at the mo. Neither are good with the ball at their feet

He's ok. I'd take him but I reckon you'd get as good cheaper elsewhere.

i actually quite like jones, i think he can be a good CB. great athleticism and decent technically for a CB. united haven't really developed either of them as they should, at least not yet.

English Djourou, we just got rid of one so why buy another?

3 months later

decent cover for cb, appalling at rb though. i'd rather we kept vermaelen if this is who we're aiming for. wouldn't have minded taking a punt on ginter, he only cost dortmund 10m

To be honest, I'd happily do the Smalling-Vermaelen switch. Smalling can cover right back where we have very little behind Debuchy, whereas Vermaelen covers LB where we already have two decent options. In addition, I think it might be beneficial to get rid of the non-playing captain. It takes a very skilled manager+captain to deal with that dynamic