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Arsene Wenger: 'Arsenal have made enquires over defensive cover'

Arsene Wenger reveals that Arsenal have made enquires with regards to defensive cover, with the Frenchman admitting that his side will "struggle" without further options.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he will be taking a huge gamble if he fails to land a new defender before the close of this month's transfer window.

The Gunners have been depleted at the back for large parts of the season, with Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal all spending time on the sidelines.

Mathieu Debuchy was the latest player to add to the Frenchman's defensive woes after undergoing an operation on his shoulder earlier this week to see him ruled out of action for three months.

Wenger was criticised in the summer for failing to land a new centre-back, and he is aware that doing so once more could cost his side's top-four hopes.

"It's risky. It's too risky," he told the club's official website. "If we have another injury or two we will struggle.

"We can, because we have [Calum] Chambers, [Per] Mertesacker, Koscielny. But we have now lost Debuchy, who could play centre-back, Monreal, who can play centre-back, Gibbs as well has been out.

"Of course we have made enquiries and then you have a second handicap of who wants to sell their best players, especially a central defender, in the middle of the season. They say: 'OK, come back in June or July and maybe yes.'"

Arsenal have been strongly linked with a £3m move for West Ham United's Winston Reid, while Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund is said to be a long-term target for the North London outfit.

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Mathieu Debuchy of Arsenal receives treatment for an injury before being stretchered off during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Stoke City at Emirates Stadium on January 11, 2015
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool23175156213556
2Arsenal24148249222750
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest24145540271347
4Chelsea24127547311643
5Manchester CityMan City24125748351341
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle24125742291341
7Bournemouth24117641281340
8Aston Villa2410773437-337
9Fulham249963632436
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2481063538-334
11Brentford2494114242031
12Crystal Palace247982830-230
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2485112834-629
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs24831348371127
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham2476112946-1727
16Everton236892328-526
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2454153452-1819
18Leicester CityLeicester2445152553-2817
19Ipswich TownIpswich2437142249-2716
20Southampton2423191854-369


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