Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen Subject of Reported Interest from Inter Milan

Frustrated Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen could be offered an escape route out of the Emirates by Serie A outfit Inter Milan, reports talkSPORT.

With a World Cup with his native Belgium fast approaching on the horizon, the defender recently admitted he may be forced to look elsewhere to gain a regular first-team spot, per Gary Jones of the Daily Star:

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I'll have to think about that when it's necessary. January is still a few months ahead, of course, never playing will not be the ideal situation for me to go to the World Cup, that's for sure.

I have spoken to the manager but it will remain private between us.

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With the form of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny playing a big role in Arsenal's early surge to the top of the Premier League table, Vermaelen has been restricted to just one league appearance so far this season.

The Arsenal captain joined from 2009 and made an instant impact at the Emirates. He scored on his debut during the opening day 6-1 victory at Everton in the 2009/10 season and has gone on to become a mainstay of Arsenal's defence in the forthcoming years.

However, he has not managed to oust the in-form pair of Mertesacker and Koscielny so far this campaign. That has lead to suggestions that the 27-year-old may be prompted to look elsewhere in order to retain his place in the Belgium side.

With Inter set for a spending spree in the January transfer window, talkSPORT report that the Milan club could be set for a move for the Gunners defender:

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Inter boss Walter Mazzarri has concerns after seeing his side ship six goals in their last two league outings and is believed to be monitoring Vermaelen's situation in north London.

The San Siro side were recently taken over by Indonesian billionaire Erick Thohir and they have been tipped to launch a spending spree when the transfer window re-opens in January.

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With Vermaelen still very much in the first-team picture at Arsenal, it is highly likely that Wenger will be keen on selling a man that can still be regarded as a key player at the club.

Should an injury to either of the first-choice pairing of Koscielny and Mertesacker occur, Vermaelen would be the obvious and likely replacement for either.

However, if the Belgian continues to find life in London frustrating, then there is always the possibility that he may be prompted to move abroad in order to boost his chances of making the Belgium squad for the trip to Brazil next season.

It is certain that Vermaelen's time will come in the Arsenal squad and, for now at least, he should resist any temptation to walk away. To leave Arsenal at such an exciting time in the club's recent history would be bizarre for a man who has toughed it out over the last few years.