Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours Surrounding Arsene Wenger's Side

Arsenal's summer transfer business has barely been consigned to memory, but for some, thoughts are already turning to who the club might sign in the January window.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot is currently thought to be a prime target for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. Links to Rabiot have become common in recent months, but the player hardly answers an obvious need in the squad.

In terms of current players, Wenger is ready to hand new contracts to midfield general Mikel Arteta and striker Olivier Giroud. Extending the former would be a smart move, but there has to be some doubts about Giroud's long-term future with Arsenal.

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Here's a closer look at the latest rumours, starting with Rabiot:

Gunners Face Premier League Chelsea Competition for Rabiot

Wenger's long-term admiration for Rabiot will be put to the test by rumoured interested from Premier League rival Chelsea. That's according to Daily Express writer Anthony Chapman:

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ADRIEN RABIOT looks set for a January move to either Arsenal or Chelsea after being left out of Paris St-Germain's Champions League squad.

The 19-year-old has just a year left on his current deal and will definitely leave the French club after rejecting a new offer.

The versatile midfielder, capable of playing at centre-back, is unhappy at falling down Laurent Blanc's pecking order, with Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti and Yohan Cabaye all ranking above him.

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The part about Rabiot being able to play in central defence will likely appeal to many Gunners fans after the club's failure to add to that position on deadline day.

However, the overall idea of signing Rabiot still seems like a strange one. His talent is beyond question but exactly where he would fit at Arsenal is a doubt.

As a stylish, pass-and-move playmaker, Rabiot certainly suits Wenger's expansive possession-style football. But he would join a team that certainly isn't short of midfield pass masters.

Wenger can already call on schemers such as Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla. Rabiot may be seen as an alternative to Arteta, the 32-year-old who usually acts as Arsenal's current defensive midfielder.

However, Wenger still has scrappy terrier Mathieu Flamini in the ranks. The tenacious Frenchman provides solid cover at the position.

There should also be some concern about how well Rabiot would adapt to the rugged environment of England's top flight. Physicality is not a defining feature of his game.

However, the greater worry has to be the influence of those around him. PSG manager Laurent Blanc hinted at this problem in late-August, per ESPN FC reporter Ian Holyman:

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I don't know how it will finish. We'll see. We have done a lot of things for Adrien, because we like the player, we like the boy, but there comes a time when you can go no further.

I think he has a great opportunity at PSG because he has the qualities to play at the club. I think his entourage don't have the same opinion as me. I respect that, but I think his entourage are taking advantage of the contract situation the player has. If there wasn't that, we wouldn't be talking about him here.

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The issue seems to stem from Rabiot's mother, Veronique, who is also his agent. Her desire to move him away from the French capital makes an exit in the next transfer window inevitable, according to ESPN FC writer Jonathan Johnson:

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Short of an immense quantity of backtracking, the player will never play for PSG again and even if he does, the supporters might now forever be against him. A January move is a near certainty, but the damage to Rabiot's hopes to feature in the Euros on home soil in two years' time -- not to mention his reputation through the football world -- might already be terminal.

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With so much negativity swirling around Rabiot, Wenger could have a clear path to the player come January, despite Chapman's report. It will come down to how highly Wenger rates the teenager's potential, along with exactly where he can deploy him.

However, with so many imponderables, this is one deal Arsenal should stay away from.

New Contracts Planned for Arteta and Giroud

Away from the possibility of new faces, Wenger is planning to hand new contracts to Arteta and Giroud. That's according to Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel:

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Olivier Giroud and Mikel Arteta are both in line for new contracts following the club’s costly spree on fresh talent, including Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck, this summer.
The news will come as a timely boost to Giroud after he was ruled out for four months with a broken ankle.

Giroud’s contract expires in 2016, but the Gunners are keen to end any uncertainty over the striker’s future by extending his deal until 2018.
The club will also look to tie captain Arteta down to a 12-month deal in the coming weeks.

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The timing of this announcement is curious. In the case of Arteta, Arsenal's pursuit of a more robust player to operate at the base of midfield has been well documented this summer.

In fact, the club is reportedly still keen on a winter bid for Sporting Lisbon powerhouse William Carvalho, per Irish Examiner editor Tony Leen (h/t Metro writer Jamie Sanderson). However, there's plenty of merit to keeping Arteta around a little while longer if possible.

The veteran of the Premier League arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2011. He joined at a time when the club was laid low by player defections, injuries and a terrible run of form.

Along with centre-back Per Mertesacker, Arteta played a key role in stabilising the squad. He has since emerged as a true leader both on and off the pitch.

While the Spaniard isn't every Arsenal fan's idea of the defensive midfielder the club needs, his willingness to adapt to a new position has set a superb example.

Just for being an experienced figure of authority, Arteta merits another one-year deal.

However, things are a little more complicated with Giroud. He has rarely been convincing as this squad's leading centre-forward. Yet for all his failings in front of goal, Giroud has established a niche as a vital link player in Arsenal's brand of combination football.

His injury forced the club into a risky, deadline-day scramble that resulted in paying £16 million for ex-Manchester United flop Danny Welbeck. If the new arrival makes the grade leading the line in place of Giroud, the towering Frenchman's future will be uncertain.

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But Giroud won't stick around to be a squad player. Giving him a new contract now creates a potential controversy at a key position.

It would also come at a time when many believe Wenger should be replacing Giroud, rather than planning to keep him. Ultimately, though, that kind of determination rightly rests with the manager.

If Wenger still believes he can mold Giroud into a prolific goalscorer at the top level, he'll keep him around. It would be prudent, though, to wait until the ex-Montpellier man has recovered from his current injury and shows if he's progressed from last season.

Aside from the rather glaring hole in the centre-back reserves, Arsenal's squad is pretty settled, following a solid summer transfer period. Even the addition of Welbeck, a slightly dubious one in the opinion of this writer, has increased Wenger's options at a key position. Although the manager's silence regarding the deal is starting to be a concern.

Yet Wenger needn't worry too much about his midfield options just yet. If he does, he ought to consider a more physical option than Rabiot.