Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Gunners Set Sights on Newcastle Star Jose Enrique?

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Arsenal's defensive woes were incredibly well-documented last season, particularly down the stretch. The Gunners' back line struggled to make a consistent positive impact down the stretch as most experts pegged them as one of the primary causes of the club's late season swoon.

Even Arsene Wenger seemed to admit the club needed strengthening in the center of the defense, chasing Gary Cahill and Chris Samba for much of the summer, although he seemed unwilling to find a replacement for departed left back Gael Clichy in transfer for much of the window.

However, a Mirror Football report has indicated that Wenger's stance on finding a new left-back might just be changing slightly.

The report indicates that the Gunners have set their sights on Newcastle's standout left back Jose Enrique, who starred for the Toon Army last season and is widely seen as likely to leave St. James Park before next year.

The 25-year-old Spaniard was a force to be reckoned with on the left side for the Magpies last season, and Arsenal could certainly use his defensive fortitude along their back line. Enrique isn't nearly as costly as either Cahill or Samba, and his £8 million price tag is sure to appeal to the always-frugal Wenger, as well. He would slot perfectly into the Gunners' lineup, giving them a fairly young and supremely talented defender to play alongside returning central defender Thomas Vermaelen.

However, while the Gunners are in the race, they're hardly the only club in the market for Enrique's services. In fact, rivals Liverpool have had their eye on the talented 25-year-old for the duration of the summer, and with the rest of their top targets delivered to Anfield, manager Kenny Dalglish's attention can focus fully on convincing Enrique to join them.

On top of that, Newcastle don't particularly want to sell their top talent, as they still plan to be competitive in the Premiership next season, according to manager Alan Pardew. The club realizes Enrique wants out to play in the Champions League, but is holding out hope they can convince him to stick around in spite of that.

In the end, Arsenal have a great chance of landing Enrique, if they want him. With the Gunners in the Champions League next season (something Anfield cannot promise at this stage of the game), they have to be seen as the front-runners over Liverpool, although they're by no means locks to get the talented Spaniard from St. James Park.

Look for the bidding from both sides to heat up in the next few weeks as formal offers get submitted, and in the end, there's a good chance that the talented defender winds up at Emirates, assuming Wenger and the Gunners don't lowball Newcastle into refusing their offer.

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