Arsenal Transfers Rumours: Top 10 Gossip Stories of the Day

Another transfer window and it's the same old story for Arsenal.

Fans of the Gunners are demanding that Arsene Wenger opens his chequebook again in the hope of making sure the club does not miss out on champions League football next season.

Wenger did relent in the summer and signed a handful of players, but with his defence decimated injuries and two strikers away at the African Cup of Nations, the pressure on the manager to invest is there once again.

Here are 10 players the club have been linked with.

Matias Suarez

The 23-year-old Argentinian is currently enjoying his best ever season at Anderlecht.

With 18 matches gone in the Belgian Jupiler League the forward has already netted seven goals, beating his previous best mark of six for the whole of last season.

In addition he has netted another seven in just six Europa League group games this term.

However, the former Belgrano attacker has played down the reported interest in him from the Gunners, saying: 

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"I will not leave Anderlecht in the winter transfer window, not even if Arsenal make a move for me. I want to help the club achieve their goals this season. Things have been going pretty well, and we can achieve some great things. I don't want to let the club down now. If I leave Anderlecht, it won't be during the winter break."

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Robert Pires

With Thierry Henry's winner against Leeds on his second debut for the club on Monday night, Arsenal fans everywhere have been revelling in nostalgia.

So news that another member of the celebrated 'Invincibles' side was arriving at the club's London Colney training ground on Tuesday whipped many of them into a frenzy.

Sadly—or perhaps not, given his poor performances for Aston Villa last season—Pires is only back at Arsenal to train with the squad.

As the former France winger said on Twitter:

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"Of course I am training just to maintain my fitness level! But thanks I appreciate you all want me back at Arsenal!"

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Salomon Kalou

Kalou is a long-time Wenger favourite, and it looks as though he may have his chance to snatch the Chelsea forward this month.

The 26-year-old has reportedly flown back to London from Dubai, where he was with the rest of the Ivory Coast squad as they prepare for the African Cup of Nations.

With Kalou deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, Wenger could take advantage of the fact the player's contract expires at the end of the season by snapping him up for as little as £3 million.

Aly Cissokho

Henry's return got all the attention on Monday, but an injury sustained to young Francis Coquelin means that Arsenal are facing an injury crisis among their full-backs.

Of the several options open to Wenger, Lyon's Cissokho is probably the most desirable.

The France international has started every Ligue 1 match for Lyon this season, but despite that both the 24-year-old and his club have confirmed that a January move is very much on the cards.

Wayne Bridge

The man who once scored the goal that knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League is now yesterday's man at Manchester City.

While his stock has plummeted over the past couple of seasons, Bridge remains a capable left-back with bags of Premier League and European experience for both City and Chelsea before that.

The former England international may have to compromise on the huge wages he is currently getting at the Etihad Stadium, but if a deal can be struck then Bridge would be a good player to have in the squad for times when the attacking excesses of Andre Santos are too risky to consider.

Neil Taylor

Another left-back to be linked with the Gunners, Taylor has been one of Swansea's most impressive performers in their good first half of the season.

That the 22-year-old plays in one of the Premier League sides most proficient in passing and possession football means he would not need much time to adjust to 'playing the Arsenal way' should he be tempted with a move to London.

However, the Welshman has played down talk of him joining up with his national team captain, Aaron Ramsey, at club lever, insisting he is committed to the Swans. He said:

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"I'm enjoying my football here and I think it's going great. Every player should be getting watched at the moment because we're a young outfit and we're doing really well.

"We play some exciting stuff and I think a lot of people are talking about us which we want to just keep doing. We're hard working bunch and as long as we stay together and keep going, we'll be successful as a team.''

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Saas Al-Mukhain

It's fair to say that when the news filtered through that Wenger was considering signing a defender who plays his club football in Oman, the reception was not exactly one of unbridled joy.

Al-Mukhain is a defender who plays for Fanja Sports Club, currently top of the table in his home country.

The 24-year-old has apparently been recommended to Wenger by his fellow Frenchman Paul le Guen, who manages the Oman national team, and he has been invited to Arsenal for a trial.

Yoann Gourcuff

Another perennial Arsenal target, Gourcuff's time at Lyon since joining from Bordeaux for a club record fee has been mainly curtailed by injury and subsequent loss of confidence and form.

The highly-talented playmaker has managed to make a handful of starts for OL this season, but talk of a move to London has resurfaced despite both sides denying it was a workable option.

Most recently, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said of the France international:

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"He will be staying here because with the Euros just around the corner, he'll have the stability to turn in an excellent season and get back on track. It would be an economic mistake to let him go now." 

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Demba Ba

How do you improve on having the Premier League's top scorer in your squad? Simple, by the Premier League's second-highest scorer too.

Demba Ba has understandably got tongues wagging after scoring 15 goals in the league so far this season, most recently his well-taken strike in Newcastle's 3-0 win over Manchester United.

The revelation that there is a release clause in the Senegal striker's contract has sparked interest from plenty of the Premier League's bigger clubs, including Tottenham and Liverpool as well as Arsenal.

Marouane Chamakh

Finally, a rumour of an outgoing Arsenal player, and there could hardly be a more popular name linked with the exit of the Emirates Stadium.

After a promising start to his Arsenal career last season, the Moroccan striker appears to have lost all his form and confidence.

In more than 500 minutes of action this season Chamakha has scored one goal. It took Henry 10 minutes to match that total after coming off the bench against Leeds.

However, for those who want him out of Arsenal, hope lies in the form of Serie A side Fiorentina, who have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old.

Commenting on the speculation, Chamakh said:

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“Fiorentina is a good team. I want to have a fantastic African Nations Cup – the rest will follow.”

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