Arsenal Transfer Rumor: Gunners on High Alert for Manchester City Rebel Defender?

Reports suggest ex-England international and former Chelsea left-back, Wayne Bridge is set for a January move to Premier League club Arsenal.

Bridge, 31, who is currently on contract with Arsenal's title rivals Manchester City, was reportedly involved in a training ground bust-up with his manager, Roberto Mancini.

Most recently, the City gaffer accused Bridge of being content to pick up his £90,000-a-week wage without actually feeling the need to play and earn the money. As things stand now, the player, who has been training with City's reserve team, has struggled to break into the first team at the club and has had several offers to play first team football at other clubs... most of which were rejected by Bridge himself, over salary disputes.

A number of reports confirm that Scottish club Celtic, among others, was ready to sign the defender, as was City's league rivals Newcastle United; the latter move was blocked by City. Now, however, City appear ready to loan Bridge and Arsenal, who are anxious to sign a left back following injuries to Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos, could be the right club at the right time, as far as Bridge is concerned.

Earlier reports on Arsenal.com stated the club's manager, Arsene Wenger, was hopeful of being able to recall Gibbs, either for Wednesday's game against Aston Villa (which they won 2-1; Gibbs remained unavailable) or the Boxing Day clash with Wolves.

It depends now on Gibbs, Wenger told Arsenal.com, He sees a specialist again today [Tuesday] and if something happens there that he has had a real setback then possibly, yes. It is not a shop, you just take a good opportunity that is on the market when you can. Overall that's what we are doing at the moment. We are starting to look at players if Gibbs is not back.

Mancini has made it clear that playing football should be Bridge's primary target and despite the club blocking his move to Newcastle, there have been other options, including offers from Russia and Turkey. In either case, according to a Mirror report, should the stand-off between Bridge and Mancini continue, it could benefit Arsenal, who should be able to steal the player on the cheap and cover their team's injury woes at the back.

Wayne Michael Bridge, who arrived from Chelsea in 2009 for a fee of around £10 million, has made more than 50 appearances for Manchester City. This season, however, he has made just one appearance - in a League Cup game.