Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Yann M'Vila's Character Concerns Drop Interest Level

Yann M'Vila has been one of the most popular transfer targets linked to Arsenal recently, but it appears the team's interest in the French midfielder has started to fade due to character concerns.

Jamie Sanderson of the Metro reports an incident between M'Vila, some of his national squad teammates and France manager Laurent Blanc has forced Arsene Wenger to reconsider his position on the rising star. It's not the first time he's had off-field problems.

That's cause for concern. Wenger has been extremely active ever since the season ended looking to upgrade the roster while also doing his best to keep the Robin van Persie situation under control. The striker's future still hasn't been decided.

He has to remain cautious when deciding which players to bring in, however. The Gunners developed terrific chemistry near the end of the season and it's one of the major reasons they were able to rebound from a shaky start.

They have an important campaign on the horizon, spotlighted by a chance to play in the Champions League after finishing in third place. Arsenal needs to ensure there are no distractions once the season gets underway.

It's surprising M'Vila would allow himself to get caught in this type of situation since he knew the transfer window was opening soon after Euro 2012. His inability to avoid the negative spotlight brings his decision-making skills into question.

There's no questioning M'Vila's ability. He's an immensely talented midfielder with the potential to become a star in one of Europe's top leagues with a little more seasoning. And, at 21, it's easy to see why Arsenal would have interest in the first place.

But talent isn't the only factor managers need to consider. They have to build the best possible team they can and sometimes that means sacrificing a little talent in favor of some maturity and leadership.

Wenger has been through enough ups and downs to understand that, making it less of a surprise to hear he would back off a potential star for reasons other than on-field performance.

He's done a nice job of adding offensive firepower to the roster with Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. The last thing he wants is the progress made with those two players to slip away by signing a possible locker room disruption.

A team will eventually take a chance on M'Vila and hope he learns from his past mistakes, but it's looking less likely that it will be Arsenal. And it's tough to blame the Gunners.