With Arsenal rumoured to be lining up a move for the Saint-Etienne captain, we give you the lowdown on their latest reported target.
A One Club Man
The 29-year-old is something of a rarity in the modern game having spent his entire career at Saint-Etienne, joining the club as a youngster back in 1997 from local side FC St Charles la Vigilante. Born in the city, Perrin has played 227 games for Les Verts to date.
Not so versatile
While the majority of reports discussing Perrin’s potential move to Arsenal have highlighted the player’s versatility, in truth the Frenchman has spent the majority of the past five years deployed as a centre-back, having previously been used in a defensive midfield role or at full-back.
Captain Fantastic
The departure of Julien Sable in the summer of 2007 saw Perrin handed the captain’s armband and he has proven to be an effective leader, guiding Saint-Etienne to the Coupe de la Ligue in 2013 in a team that featured Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, now with Borussia Dortmund.
Perrin vs Mangala
Perrin was on the fringes of the France national team prior to the World Cup and while he was on the seven-man reserve list for the final squad, he ultimately lost out to Eliaquim Mangala, who was picked as an extra defender for the 23-man party. A move offers the chance at some form of revenge.
Christophe Galtier
The presence of Galtier as manager of Saint-Etienne may be a major motivating factor behind why Perrin has remained at the club for so long, with the Verts boss in charge since 2009. But with Newcastle previously sniffing around the former Marseille coach, change could be afoot.
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