ARSENAL are set to be dealt a transfer blow with Ryan Bertrand close to agreeing a new Southampton contract, according to reports.
The Gunners emerged as shock candidates to land the England international last week, after boss Mikel Arteta admitted that his side are 'short' at left-back.
Bertrand, 31, has just six months remaining on his Saints deal, putting potential suitors on high alert.
According to The Athletic, however, Southampton are 'confident' that their No3 will put pen to paper before long.
Talks are ongoing, and Saints have 'no intention' of selling Bertrand.
The former Chelsea star initially joined Southampton on loan in 2014, before making the move permanent a year later.
He has gone on to make 225 Saints appearances to date.
And he recently signalled his desire to potentially stay at Southampton for the rest of his playing career.
He told the Daily Echo: "Definitely, I want to stay. That’s my thought process.
"I see myself staying here and it would be great to be part of this club for the long haul.
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"I’ve been here so long. I have still got plenty of years left in me. And to go beyond that and possibly work for the club even after football."
Southampton beat the Gunners 1-0 on Saturday, knocking them out of the FA Cup in the process.
And during BT Sport's coverage, Martin Keown said of potential interest in Bertrand: "He has that experience. This is a young team here [at Southampton], so I don’t think he is going anywhere."
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