Arsenal Transfer News: World-Class January Signings Eyed by Arsene Wenger

After splashing the cash in the summer to bring Alexis Sanchez to the Emirates, Arsenal have been rewarded with a string of excellent displays from their new Chilean talisman. So as the January window edges closer, all eyes will be on Arsene Wenger to repeat the feat and bring another world-class talent to north London.

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Arsenal are beginning to gain momentum after a stuttering start to the season, and after the team faded away in the latter stages of the previous campaign—a demise that many put down to a dearth of January additions—the club will be desperate to give the supporters a signing of real quality in the midseason window to sate their aspirations.

If reports are to be believed then the Emirates faithful could be in for a treat, as the Gunners have been linked with some of the finest players in world football. Here’s the very latest on three of them.

Liverpool Set to Outbid Gunners for Pedro

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The Barcelona speedster looks set to be nudged to the periphery of the first team following the arrival of Luis Suarez, and he’s been muted as potentially following Sanchez to the Emirates. But according to fichajes.net (h/t Metro) the Gunners will face stern competition for his signature.

Liverpool are also reportedly keen on bringing Pedro to the Premier League and, according to the piece, more willing than the Gunners to match the Catalonians’ reported £25 million asking price. 

Here’s a glimpse of why the Spanish international is generating so much interest:

The situation with Pedro does have similarities to the predicament Alexis found himself in at the Camp Nou. The player won’t have guaranteed first-team football with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez in situ, but he’s undeniably a talent who could make the switch to a top club and still make a big impact, such is his quality.

Wenger is a notoriously stringent spender in January though, and given Arsenal’s options in the attacking midfield and wide positions, Pedro shouldn’t be top of his wish list. Factoring in Barcelona’s transfer ban and Liverpool’s more pertinent need for a wide player, it’d be a huge surprise to see the 27-year-old follow Sanchez to Arsenal.

Manchester United Muscle In on Julian Draxler Chase

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Louis van Gaal has reportedly made the exciting young midfielder a January target and will rival Arsenal for his signature. That’s according to John Richardson of the Express, who insists United have joined the Gunners in the race for the £35 million-rated German. 

Here’s why Draxler is a reported target for some of the biggest clubs on the continent:

Arsenal have long been linked with the 21-year-old, and after turning in some dazzling displays for Schalke during the early parts of this season, it appears he has caught the eye of the Red Devils hierarchy. Draxler is also beginning to make his mark in the Champions League too, as noted here by German football expert Clark Whitney:

Unfortunately for the player, he looks unlikely to play again this year after suffering an injury in Schalke's last outing. But that surely won’t deter Europe’s most illustrious outfits from pursuing his signature, for he is a player with an indisputably bright future.

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Stylistically he’s excellent in possession, loves to shoot from range and wonderfully intelligent in tight areas. For one so young, he has no qualms about shouldering responsibility and taking the game to the opposition either, as noted here by WhoScored.com:

Arsenal do have a lot of players who can operate in Draxler’s preferred role, but such is his quality and his long-term potential, it’d be no surprise to see Wenger look to bring the player in. Whether the Gunners have a gravitas or the financial clout to go toe-to-toe with United remains to be seen though, as does Schalke’s willingness to cash in during the season.

Edinson Cavani Move a Possibility

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The Uruguayan striker took a noncommittal approach to questions about his future, insisting that a move away from Paris Saint-Germain is not an impossible proposition. 

Cavani has played a supporting role to Zlatan Ibrahimovic since he moved to the club from Napoli. And subsequently, reports have long linked him with a move away from the French capital, with Arsenal regularly touted as a potential destination for the player. And speaking with Telefoot (h/t Ben Jefferson of the Express) he’s admitted that while he’s happy in Paris, anything could happen in the future:

"

I am good at Paris. And I like it.

In football we never know what is going to happen the next season, or the next day. There are lots of things that could happen in a club.

"

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Here’s why Cavani’s rated as one of the leading marksmen in the game:

While Danny Welbeck was brought in to bolster the Arsenal forward line and Olivier Giroud is not far away from a return to the first team, Cavani is a striker who'd be a major step up in class for the Gunners. His predatory instincts have been muffled a little during his spell on the wing with PSG, but if he was deployed through the middle, he’d provide Arsenal with a refreshing and forensically clinical attacking edge.

The Gunners would have to pay big money to get him out of Paris though, and with Ibrahimovic approaching the twilight of his career, you suspect that Cavani could play a much more significant role for the French champions in the weeks and years to come. With that in mind, they may not be quite so willing to let him leave.