Arsenal Transfer Rumours: 6 Latest Midfielders Linked with the Gunners

Arsenal's lacklustre display against AC Milan in the Champions League last week, coupled with a loss against Sunderland in the FA Cup, has left the London club wondering where it all went wrong.

Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure to be replaced at the Emirates, and star player Robin Van Persie is still yet to sign a new contract with the club.

Despite the many viewpoints about where Arsenal's problems lie, some have pointed to the midfield due to the injured Jack Wilshere's long absence and Andrei Arshavin's miserable season.

As a result, here are the latest midfielders to be linked with the Gunners.

Javi Garcia

Arsenal have been heavily linked with Benfica player Javi Garcia of late.

The defensive midfielder has been impressive this season, and his form has also brought about interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.

Garcia could be available for a fee in the £27 million bracket, which might be more than Arsenal are willing to pay for the 24-year-old.

Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo, 27, is out of contract in the summer, which could see a number of clubs interested in his services.

The Italian international has been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United according to England's  talksport.co.uk and would be a great addition to the club with no transfer fee involved.

Nicolas Gaitan

Nicolas Gaitan is technically a winger by trade but has played in central midfield multiple times for Boca Juniors and is seen to be more than capable in that position.

Goal.com identified Gaitan as a more complete player than Angel Di Maria of Real Madrid, but the player is valued at £35 million, which would be a record signing for the Gunners.

The price may put them off.

Mario Gotze

It seems both Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have the same transfer list, as yet another player is linked with the two clubs.

This time it's 19-year-old Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund.

Gotze's agent has admitted there has been interest from a number of European clubs and that it would take an offer of £33 million or more to interest his German parent club in a deal.

Gotze is considered to be one of the best players Germany has produced in years.

Junior Hoilett

Canadian winger Junior Hoilett is likely to be a free agent in the summer, as his contract with Blackburn looks set to expire.

The winger is believed to be keen on staying in the Premier League, and Arsenal have been touted as a possible destination for the 21-year-old, along with Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

The report also goes on to suggest that Hoilett could be a replacement for the outbound Andrei Arshavin.

Lukas Podolski

Technically a striker, Lukas Podolski is adaptable enough to play on the wing or midfield when required.

The German international has reportedly fallen out with his management due to their failure to uphold promises made when he signed from Bayern Munich.

Currently at Cologne, Podolski has been linked to both Arsenal and Liverpool of late.

Podolski's market value at the end of January was £17.5 million.

Afterthoughts

It seems Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been sitting on a transfer kitty of £57 million, which could irk some Arsenal fans given the clubs' apparent lack of depth.

Arsenal's 4-0 loss to AC Milan was probably a harsh scoreline, but certainly a deserved victory for the Italian club in the recent Champions League game.

With that result followed up by an FA Cup knockout to Sunderland, Arsenal are set to go seven years without a trophy.

People often revert to the transfer market as the only option to improve a side, but it also has to be considered that Arsene Wenger is no longer the right man to lead the club forward.

He has done a fine job in the past, but nothing lasts forever.

Please feel free to air your views in the comment section below on who or what you think is the current problem at Arsenal—and how they can rectify the situation.

On twitter? Follow me @petercwebster where I post all my B/R content.

Also be sure to check out the 8 best South Americans set for a move to Europe this summer.

Thanks for reading.