Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on New Signings Tipped for Arsene Wenger's Squad

Arsenal are just a couple of players away from finally getting it right.

While the Gunners currently boast some of the best players in world football in their ranks, they’re vulnerable in crucial areas—making for a few frustrating performances already this season.

Pre-season optimism has turned a little gloomy around the Emirates, but the January transfer window will give manager Arsene Wenger the chance to make the necessary additions to his silverware-chasing pack.

Here’s a look at the candidates that could be perfect for the job.

William Carvalho

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Arsenal’s interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho was no secret throughout the summer, and the speculation shows no sign of ceasing despite the transfer window’s closure.

The holding midfielder is one of the highest rated prospects in the European game at the moment, and while Arsenal saw a deadline-day bid rejected for the midfielder—per beIN SPORTS—they’re hoping to find a way to his signature in the coming months.

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Metro), which reported that Arsenal planned on heading to Manchester a little over a week ago to iron out a deal with Sporting Lisbon.

The 22-year-old has a buyout clause of £37 million, but Arsenal may drive that price a lot closer to the £30 million mark before making their move.

While a staggering amount of money for a player that is unproven at Premier League level, it seems that bringing Carvalho to the Emirates is a necessary expense.

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Having the aging duo of Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta as the only realistic options in defensive midfield doesn’t exactly scream title contenders, and the latter tested fans’ patience in Arsenal’s recent Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.

The 32-year-old looked out of his depth against Dortmund’s powerful attacking force, provoking broadcaster Piers Morgan to label him a long way past his best:

What Arteta lacks, though, Carvalho has in abundance, with his pace, power and distribution expertise exactly what Arsenal need.

The job for Wenger now is to keep his side in contention for silverware until January, when he can finally add the remaining pieces to his world-class puzzle—the most vital of which is a holding midfielder like Carvalho.

Adrien Rabiot

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Another star who Arsenal are likely to renew their interest in is Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot—as John Cross of the Daily Mirror reported.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been a reported target of Europe’s elite over the last few months, and with his contract in the French capital set to expire next summer, PSG could be looking to sell in January.

Arsenal, then, are weighing up the possibility of swooping for the youngster’s signature, and they could get him for a discount price unless the French champions find a way to tie Rabiot down to a long-term deal.

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That much doesn’t look likely, and even PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi conceded to Canal+ (via Sky Sports) that Rabiot is on the way out of the club very soon:

“We are talking as we are doing with other clubs. Arsenal? I can say nothing. There are talks ongoing but the player probably will leave.”

While Rabiot prefers an attacking role, his versatility means that he can slot into defensive midfield with ease and maintain his high standard of play.

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At 19 years of age, he still has ample room to grow in the world game, and should Wenger bring him to the Emirates, he’ll likely develop him into the holding player that he so sorely needs.

Rabiot is the cheap alternative to Carvalho, too, and naturally, that proposition will be an attractive one for Wenger.

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Though his price tag will be less than that of the Portuguese star, his quality is anything but, as Rabiot has proved that he can cut it against the best in the business despite being at the start of his exciting career.

Who Wenger eventually decides to go for in January remains to be seen, but either Carvalho or Rabiot donning red come 2015 will give Arsenal fans heaps of encouragement.

Trophies are won by fine margins in the English game, and having an exciting, anchoring midfielder could be the one that propels the Gunners to glory.