Arsenal Transfer News: World-Class Stars Reportedly Eyed by Arsene Wenger

There’s an age-old saying that goes “you can never have too much of a good thing”, and looking at reported January transfer targets for Arsenal, you suspect this is a mantra that their manager Arsene Wenger might stringently adhere to.

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The Gunners are without any real substantial cover in all defensive areas and are in desperate need of an imposing, physical presence at the base of their midfield. But despite these awkwardly obvious holes in the squad, much of the talk when it comes to transfers is about attacking players, an area in which Arsenal are exceptionally well stocked.

Here’s the very latest on some stellar names that have been linked to the Gunners, all three of which would admittedly be a real indulgence.

Julian Draxler In, Mesut Ozil Out

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Arsenal could be set to swap one German for another, according to Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express, as Wenger finally looks to have run out of patience with club record signing Ozil. That could pave the way for a move for Schalke’s Julian Draxler, who has a reported £37 million release clause in his current contract.

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Ozil has endured a frustrating start to the campaign on the field and that was compounded by news that he’ll be out until 2015 after suffering a knee injury, per David Hynter of The Guardian. 

If Wenger is to move for a replacement, then Draxler would be a very fine option. The 21-year-old may not be quite as intricate as Ozil, but he offers considerably more dynamism, exceptional work rate and a lot more versatility. That’s not to say he isn’t technically adept, either, we were recently witness to his range of skills against Chelsea, per Bleacher Report UK:

Indeed, while undeniably better playing centrally, Draxler has no issues playing on the flanks, something that Ozil struggles with.

Here’s a few more reasons why the Gunners are playing close attention to the young German international:

The Arsenal boss has been unwaveringly supportive of his record signing despite his obvious troubles, and it’d be a major surprise if he was to cast aside Ozil as early as this January. And even if the Gunners do have a spare £37 million, it should be invested in other areas of the team that have had a seemingly chronic lack of depth.

Gunners Eye Up Karim Benzema

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Arsenal are set to hijack Liverpool’s proposed move for the Real Madrid frontman, according to sources in Spain (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Star On Sunday) after Wenger supposedly held secret talks with the player.

The Gunners were linked with a move for the French hitman throughout the summer, but Benzema opted to sign a new deal with the European Champions. The former Lyon man is now a vital component in Los Blancos’ formidable attacking foursome, wreaking havoc among La Liga defences with James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He's in excellent form, too, as noted by OptaJean:

In truth, the Frenchman’s role at the Bernabeu is often a little understated and unappreciated, and perhaps a move to Emirates—where he’d certainly be a key figure—would suit him at this stage of his career. 

Here’s a taster of what Arsenal would be getting should they strike a deal for the player:

But at this juncture, you have to wonder why Real would consider selling. The only current back-up they have to Benzema is Javier Hernandez, and after signing a lucrative new deal to extend his stay in the Spanish capital, it’s clear the Frenchman is a big part of Carlo Ancelotti’s future plans.

Arsenal To Battle For Sebastian Giovinco 

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The Bianconeri forward could walk away on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, sparking a three-way battle between the Gunners, Liverpool and Tottenham for his signature. Giovinco has found himself behind Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente in the pecking order at Juventus and as such, his opportunities have been pretty limited.

Consequently, the player himself has admitted he has a big decision to make come the end of the campaign, per David Wright of the Express:

"

There are things to evaluate and at the end of the year I will consider whether or not to continue with Juve.

The season has just started, we’ve only played eight games, so we’ll see as time goes on.

"

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In the same piece, his agent, Andrea D’Amico, is at a loss to understand how the Italian champions could let a “fantastic player like Giovinco for free.” Here’s why the Italian could be hot property come the end of the season:

Giovinco has never quite been able to establish himself as a first-team regular in Turin, and with strikers of the quality of Tevez and Llorente in situ, it’s difficult to see him forcing his way into the starting XI on a regular basis. With that in mind, it’d be little surprise to see him stall on a contract and walk away from the club as a free agent, allowing himself a massive scope of options.

He’d be a decent addition for Arsenal, but at this stage of his career, the 27-year-old is a player that needs games. And with Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud set to fight it out for the sole striker position, Giovinco could find his opportunities just as limited at the Emirates and subsequently move elsewhere.