Arsenal Tracking Roma Defender Mexes?

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been linked with a January move for French International defender Philippe Mexes at Serie A club AS Roma, according to reports.

Despite, Wenger stating in public that his own French International defender William Gallas will not be leaving the Premier League club in January. After being stripped of the captaincy at The Gunners following his outburst to the press about his team mates at the Emirates Stadium recently. It is widely believed that 31-year-old Gallas will leave Arsenal in January.

Serie A giants Juventus and AC Milan have both been linked with the former Chelsea player, with a reunion at Juve under Claudio Ranieri, who signed Gallas for Chelsea, while in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2001 looking the most likely.



This has led Wenger to start his own search for a replacement for Gallas and he has placed Roma central defender Philippe Mexes on his list of targets to replace Gallas at the Premiership club, with a January move for the former Auxerre player being mooted.

26-year-old Mexes has been at the Giallorossi since joining from French side Auxerre in 2004 and has made 120 appearances in Serie A for Roma during his time at the Stadio Olimpico. With the Frenchman, who has been capped 11 times by France a pivotal figure in helping the Italian side finish runners up to Inter Milan in the Scudetto last season.