Wayne Bridge
Bridge is set to exit City. REUTERS

Ray Parlour has called on Arsene Wenger to sign Wayne Bridge, with the Arsenal manager looking at transfer options for January after Kieran Gibbs suffered a setback in his recovery.

Parlour, who made over 300 appearances for the Gunners in the 1990s and early 2000s, has weighed in on the debate surrounding how Wenger will bolster his squad to keep challenging for glory in both the Champions League and Premier League.

And the former midfielder, who won the Premier League title with Arsenal three times in his time at the club, insists that the Gunners should bring Bridge on board to boast a full and ready squad.

"I think the only position that he [Wenger] will strengthen in is full-backs," Parlour told Talksport.

"Andre Santos, Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson are all out with injuries. Full-back is a position where they are very light and are getting away with it a bit. Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou have been playing there.

"Wayne Bridge would do alright, he'd be a good signing. He's hasn't played for quite a while but he's still a quality player.

"Someone like that on loan might be a good signing but would Man City let you have him though? Why would they want to help the teams around them?"

Arsenal have admitted that they will be in the market for new players in January, with Wenger revealing the club will be looking at loan options as well as outright purchases.

City have had no problems in the past with loaning players out to clubs in the Premier League; the citizens currently have Emanuel Adebayor being loaned at Tottenham; but Roberto Mancini has insisted that Bridge will be sold over being loaned out.

"For a player, it should be important to play football," Mancini said of the left-back. "I don't know why someone would want to stay at one club when they know they cannot play.

"I don't understand why there are some players who have a good chance to play football, maybe not in the Premier League, but in the Championship, and don't take it.

"When we are young and start to play football, we don't play for money. We play because we like football and every player should have this target in mind: play football.

"Wayne is a good guy, but for every player it should be important to play. Wayne has had two or three chances [to go somewhere] and in the summer, he had the chance to play for Celtic and this is an important team."

It looks likely that City will offload Bridge in January after the comments in a possible £12 million deal, and Arsenal could be just the club to take the former England international.