Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Latest on Christian Benteke, Gonzalo Higuain and More

The summer transfer outlook for Arsenal will become a lot more clear following Sunday's match against Newcastle. Either the Gunners will have secured a Champions League spot or they will be headed to the Europa League with Tottenham moving into the top four.

An appearance in the Champions League would likely open up more transfer avenues for manager Arsene Wenger. It puts a lot of pressure on the current squad, which looked terrific in the second half of a key win on Tuesday over Wigan.

Although the direction Arsenal take is still to be decided, the rumors have already been floating around for weeks in anticipation of possible offseason moves. Let's examine some of the latest talk involving the Gunners.

Christian Benteke

The most goals Christian Benteke had scored during a campaign in the Belgian Pro League was 16. It tempered expectations as he moved to the Premier League with Aston Villa, but instead of struggling against the tougher competition, he's excelled with 19 goals in league play.

His breakout performance has brought him onto the transfer radar for other EPL sides. Steve Stammers of the Daily Mirror reports Tottenham have made him their top summer target while Arsenal are also very interested in bringing him to the Emirates.

Finding a striker to lead the attack will be Wenger's biggest summer task. Beating out Spurs for a Champions League spot and then swooping in to land Benteke would be huge. The 22-year-old rising star should only continue to improve moving forward.

Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain is another striker option for Wenger to explore. The Argentine international was forced to play multiple roles throughout the campaign for Real Madrid but still managed to tally 15 goals and seven assists in La Liga and Champions League play.

In order to pry him away from the Spanish club, Arsenal would need to offer £22 million, according to David Kent of the Daily Mail. Wenger is said to have long been interested in the striker, who's come into his own over the past few seasons.

While it's a hefty asking price, strikers don't come cheap during the transfer window unless a club finds a hidden gem like Villa did with Benteke. If that's the price Wenger would have to pay in order to stabilize his attack, it would be a wise investment.

Ashley Williams

Switching to the back line, Ashley Williams is a name that keeps popping up in connection with Arsenal. The veteran defender, who's been a bright spot for Swansea in recent years, is certainly ready to make the jump to a bigger club.

As of now, Arsenal feel confident in their ability to get a deal done after further talks with the player's camp, reports Wayne Veysey of Goal.com. He reveals a £4 million gap exists between Swansea's asking price and what Arsenal wants to pay, though.

In the end, that shouldn't be a large enough hurdle if Arsenal is serious about getting a deal done. Adding Williams would provide some much-needed consistency along the back line, which has had an up-and-down campaign for the Gunners.