Arsenal Transfer Rumours: 10 Midfielders Linked with Summer Moves

Against AC Milan, Arsenal's midfield was absolutely woeful. Mark van Bommel and Antonio Nocerino managed to run Arsenal's midfielders ragged, and as such, Robin van Persie was unable to receive the service he needed to impact the game.

Against Sunderland, we saw more of the same. Even with the significant drop in midfield quality, Arsenal were still unable to supply RVP with the necessary service to do what he does best—score.

It is becoming increasingly doubtful that Arsenal's current crop of midfielders are "good enough" to help the Gunners reach their season objectives.

Tomas Rosicky looks only a shadow of his former self, while Aaron Ramsey has been taking one step forward and two steps back all season long.

Arsenal need a player of true quality to take them back to being regular contenders for the Premier League title and make them once again a team to be feared in the Champions League.

Here are 10 candidates to do just that.

Nicholas Gaitan

Nicolas Gaitan is one of the hottest talents in world football.

This year, Nicolas Gaitan has been the only player to record an assist in every Champions League match he's played in.

His ability to create scoring opportunities against even the toughest of defenses has caused Manchester United and Manchester City to both register their interest in the player.

Now it is being reported that Arsenal have joined the fray as well.

Gaitan can play as a left or right winger, but that won't be where he is needed or used at Arsenal. His ability to play as an attacking midfielder would be of huge benefit to Arsenal, as Gaitan would be a massive upgrade over the inconsistent Aaron Ramsey.

He's young, talented and productive. Unfortunately, he also will reportedly cost £35 million to sign. That transfer fee is likely to score Arsene Wenger away, unless it can be heavily reduced through negotiation.

Junior Hoilett

I've already talked about Hoilett's contract situation and a potential move to Tottenham in the past.

Well, now it appears Arsenal will be bidding for his services in the summer as well.

And who can blame them?

After Arsenal's epic meltdown over the last two games, Arsenal will struggle this summer to secure premium talent. They may just have to settle with signing whatever secondary talent is available on the market and interested in signing with the team.

Hoilett would arrive at Arsenal without a transfer fee, and as the article states, he would be a good replacement for Andrei Arshavin.

The only issue with Hoilett is that he would reinforce a position that is already very deep and strong at Arsenal (winger).

Arsenal have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho, Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin presently as starting options, and Thomas Rosicky and Park Chu-Young are options off the bench. That's not to mention Ryo Miyaichi, who is very talented and will be returning to Arsenal next season.

If Hoilett can be transformed into an attacking midfielder by Wenger, this would be a decent transfer to pursue. If not, it may be better to let Hoilett find another club to play his football with.

Claudio Yacob

Who?

That's what I said when I read this rumor.

Apparently, Arsenal have made "preliminary moves" to sign Claudio Yacob, an Argentinian defensive midfielder, when his contract expires with Racing Club of Argentina.

The guy has three caps for his country since 2011, so he can't be that bad of a player. Still, considering how unknown he is, and the fact that he plays in a position Arsenal are already fairly deep in, I doubt he'll be able to do much to help Arsenal change their fortunes next season.

Javi Garcia

Compared to Claudio Yacob, Benfica's Javi Garcia represents a much more expensive option for Arsenal's midfielder. According to GiveMeFootball.com, Arsenal is interested in signing the £15-million-rated midfielder in the summer.

Garcia, a former Spanish Under-21 international, joined Benfica from Real Madrid in 2009. The 25-year-old has been linked with Arsenal in the past.

Again, with defensive midfield not being a weakness for Arsenal, this doesn't seem like a good transfer to make for the squad.

Mathieu Flamini

Many Gunners will remember how strong Arsenal's midfield used to be with both Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini playing in the center. Back then, Arsenal's midfield was certainly much better than it is now.

While Cesc Fabregas certainly won't be returning to Arsenal anytime soon, there is a chance that Flamini could.

The Frenchman has found playing time at AC Milan hard to come by since last year, and this year he has not been able to make a single competitive appearance due to injuries.

With AC Milan's midfield looking increasingly packed, Flamini may choose to return to the club where he discovered his best form.

Certainly, Flamini would be an upgrade on the likes of Tomas Rosicky; he will add a player with decent talent and experience to the squad.

Riccardo Montolivo

Fiorentina's Riccardo Montolivo has been on Arsenal's radar for some time. The 27-year-old Italian midfielder is out of contract in the summer, and the Gunners have reportedly shown interest in the past.

The rumors are back, with Montolivo reportedly the target of a free transfer this summer—though Manchester United could be interested now, too.

Montolivo has struggled with consistency throughout his career, but if Arsenal fail to secure a better option, Montolivo would by no means be a bad signing for the Gunners.

Carlos Casemiro

These Carlos Casemiro rumors seem to cycle off and on. 

First, Tottenham were reportedly tracking Casemiro. Now it's Arsenal's turn.

Casemiro is a brilliant young talent with international experience, but at such a young age, he's likely to stay in Brazil and develop for at least a year more, if not longer.

His £15-million price tag should also allow him to develop without too much disruption. Like Javi Garcia, though, Casemiro is another player that, at least on paper, Arsenal don't really need.

Yann M'Vila

The speculation on Yann M'Vila's future has died down significantly since a move to Arsenal failed to materialize last summer.

Nevertheless, while M'Vila's agent confirms that M'Vila is quite content at Rennes, he has once again opened the door for a move abroad in the summer with Arsenal and Real Madrid being his likely destinations.

Both Arsenal and Real Madrid could benefit from M'Vila's quality. The defensive midfielder is strong, determined and would inject much-needed leadership at Arsenal.

At Real Madrid, he would complement Xabi Alonso well; neither Lassana Diarra nor Sami Khedira have displaced the defensive tenacity needed to make Real Madrid impenetrable against the best offenses of Europe.

His transfer fee will likely be large, but the investment could prove worthwhile for whatever team splashes the cash for him.

Esteban Granero

Another January signing that never happened.

Esteban Granero's situation at Real Madrid looks like it's unlikely to ever change. Despite being greatly liked by Mourinho, his limited game time indicates that Mourinho simply does not rate him as a sufficiently talented player for his team.

But Real Madrid's loss would easily be Arsenal's gain if they could engineer a transfer for the Spanish midfielder. Granero is an excellent passer of the ball and a decent playmaker as well.

He'd have to adjust his playing style to be more of an attacker, but Granero, at only 24, would be an excellent signing for Arsenal.

Yoann Gourcuff

Gourcuff was reportedly a major target for Arsenal over the January transfer window.

In the end, though, it was decided that staying with Lyon would be best for Gourcuff, so as to not hurt his Euro 2012 chances of selection to France's national team.

After Euro 2012, though, anything is possible.

Though Arsenal have struggled this season, Lyon have struggled too. They currently find themselves in fifth place. If they fail to secure Champions League qualification by the end of the season, Gourcuff may very well evaluate his options at the end of the season.

At that point, he may decide a move to Arsenal is in his best interest. Gourcuff could easily be the "missing piece" for Arsenal, the best possible replacement for Fabregas and a significant improvement over Ramsey.

Additionally, he'll be only 26 when he transfer to Arsenal, meaning he'll just be entering his prime.

Gourcuff would be a signing for Gunners fan to truly get excited about and start hoping for a successful season. But pulling off the transfer will not be easy, and who knows how much money Lyon will ask for?