Liverpool tracking Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen

Liverpool are surprise candidates for the signing of Arsenal's captain Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgium international slipped down the pecking order at the Emirates last year as Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker were preferred to the duo.

According to reports, Vermaelen is concerned that a lack of playing time at Arsenal will impact his chances of a first team appearance at the upcoming World Cup; Tottenham have been playing Jan Verthongen and Man City's captain Vincent Kompany is a certainty, so the Arsenal dfender Vermaelen wants assurances that he will be playing on a regular basis if he is to stay at Arsenal.


Liverpool are ready to pay big money to attract a name like Vermaelen to Anfield, despite having already signed former Arsenal centre back Kolo Toure. 


Vermaelen has still been told that he is captain for the upcoming season, but he has not been promised a guarantee of regular first team football. That could prove to be the end for Vermaelen's Arsenal career.