Few things are more evident in life than Arsenal’s need for at least one centre-back and one holding midfielder. Forget buying Edison Cavani from PSG (as some newspapers have suggested), below are a few names which Wenger should consider for Arsenal’s January transfer window.
Defenders
Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)—Following his strong performances at the World Cup, it is surprising that Vlaar hasn’t moved to another club, especially following Louis van Gaal’s move to Manchester United and their blatant need for a central defender. He has proven himself in the Premier League and will come at a price much cheaper than many other options, especially as his contract is up at the end of the season. At the age of 29 and at his peak, Arsenal will not be the only club in for this player, with both Liverpool and Manchester United greatly needing defensive reinforcements.
Winston Reid (West Ham)—Another player whose contract is up at the end of the season, he would still be a fairly cheap option for Wenger (despite what Big Sam says) and comes with Premier League experience. However, he is not the big name signing that many Arsenal fans have become used to and it remains to be seen if he can make the jump from West Ham to Champions League football.
Virgil van Dijk (Celtic)—Another Dutch centre-back who is being linked with a number of Premier League clubs including Manchester United. Van Dijk has also chipped in with goals this season for Celtic; six so far in all competitions. Still relatively young, he has the potential to develop into a very dependable centre-back and would be a wise signing for Wenger.
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)—The Dortmund captain has been strongly linked with Manchester United (amongst others) for the last year, and will surely be Wenger’s number one target defensively. A proven defender at the very highest level, he is in high demand, so the cash will need to be splashed, but he will surely be worth it.
Midfielders
Fabian Delph (Aston Villa)—If Wenger wants to go down the home-grown route, Delph would not be a bad option. He will come relatively cheaply, as his contract expires at the conclusion of the season. The England international has proven Premier League experience, but has also been hampered by injury problems this season, having already missed eight games for Villa.
Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen)—Bender has long been linked with a move to England, and especially to North London. He is exactly the kind of combative midfielder that Arsenal need, but it would need a bid in excess of £20 million to prise him away from Leverkusen.
Christoph Kramer (on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach)—Kramer would be a slightly cheaper option than Bender and has impressed on his loan spell. However, he has recently signed a five year contract extension at his parent club, Bayern Leverkusen, so he has become an unlikely target.
William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon)—Arsenal are one of many English clubs chasing this young, dynamic midfielder. He has bags of potential, but any signing would most likely require a bidding war with both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton)—Having missed out on a move to Tottenham in the summer, Schneiderlin would be an astute signing for Arsene Wenger, much to Spurs’s annoyance. He is proven in the Premier League and is one of the main reasons for Southampton’s success both this season and last. If he is still unsettled, then he would make a good signing for Arsenal—not mention the fact that he’s French.
Sami Khedira (Real Madrid)—A whole host of injuries have limited Khedira to only four league appearances this season for Real Madrid. The arrival of Kroos has further restricted his chances of starting for Madrid. A hefty offer will be needed to see off his other suitors, but if he can overcome his injury problems, then he will make for a great purchase.
The chance of any of these players arriving at the Emirates in January is very slim. Wenger hasn’t been afraid to splash the cash recently, but he knows that the January transfer window is a very awkward time to buy players. He may well wait until the summer, but signing any of the above players would make for a vast improvement to Arsenal’s squad.
(Stats from http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/)
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