Arsenal Transfer News: Thomas Vermaelen Offer Reportedly Made, Latest Rumours

Arsenal have reportedly lodged a bid with Barcelona to re-sign former captain Thomas Vermaelen as manager Arsene Wenger looks to add cover to his depleted defensive unit. 

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via the Sun's Andrew Richardson), Barca are "mulling over" an offer they have received from Arsenal for Vermaelen, 30, while AS Roma are also reported to have lodged a £13 million bid for the Belgian centre-back.

The Gunners are set to be without Laurent Koscielny and the injured Per Mertesacker—who is sidelined until next year—for the start of the new Premier League season, with their first game of the campaign a tough clash with Liverpool on August 14, per the Independent's Jack Pitt-Brooke:

"

Worrying for Arsenal that they'll have no Mertesacker, Giroud, Koscielny for Liverpool. Ozil and Ramsey racing to be ready. What's the XI?

— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) July 27, 2016"

Gabriel Paulista will likely step in as the senior centre-back, but the options to partner him are concerning.

Calum Chambers is out of favour with Wenger, new man Rob Holding has no Premier League experience and Nacho Monreal is now almost exclusively a left-back. 

Per the Press Association (via the Guardian), there is even the possibility that midfielder Francis Coquelin may be forced to play as a makeshift centre-back.

Hence the reports linking Arsenal with Vermaelen.

While he has endured an injury-ravaged two-season spell at Barca since his £15 million move from Arsenal in 2014—he has made only 11 La Liga appearances while at the Camp Nou—he remains an experienced and competent presence in the centre of defence.

Per ESPN FC's John Chapman, he was Belgium's best player as they reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.

He could easily slot back into the Arsenal setup after spending just two years away and would surely be a much more reliable partner for Gabriel than any other option Wenger has available in the absence of Koscielny and Mertesacker.

However, signing Vermaelen would merely be a stopgap solution to a problem that has plagued Arsenal for some time now.

Even with all centre-backs available, Koscielny is still Wenger's only reliable option. Gabriel is inconsistent, while the 31-year-old Mertesacker's lack of pace has proved a problem in the past.

Per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe, Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly was previously seen as a potential long-term partner for Koscielny:

According to John Percy of the Telegraph, the 25-year-old is still on Arsenal's radar, along with Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi, and Wenger has said Arsenal are in the market for a new centre-back: "Do I think we will sign an experienced central defender before the season starts? Yes, I do."

However, the Frenchman also complained about "crazy" transfer fees, and Napoli value Koulibaly at around £50 million, per Vaishali Bhardwaj in the Evening Standard.

It seems highly unlikely that Wenger and Arsenal will be prepared to bid that much to snap up Koulibaly, and Vermaelen is perhaps seen as a cheaper, but reliable, alternative for now.