Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Latest on Potential Move for Luiz Gustavo

Contrary to popular belief, Luis Suarez is not the only player on Arsene Wenger's radar.

Suarez is an impressive talent, and with Arsenal's need for an elite striker, it's not exactly surprising that he has been made out as priority No. 1 for the Gunners. But with Liverpool unwilling to budge, that's a story that will likely extend until the final minutes of the transfer window.

So, for now, let's readjust the focus onto Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo, who is on the verge of making the trip to the Emirates, according to Metro:

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Arsenal are believed to have agreed a £14m deal to sign Bayern Munich’s Luiz Gustavo.

The Gunners have been tracking the midfielder all summer and are said to have beaten off competition from Chelsea and Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for Gustavo’s signature.

If Arsenal can agree personal terms with the 26-year-old he will become Arsene Wenger’s second signing of the summer, following the arrival of French youngster Yaya Sanogo.

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The Guardian's David Hytner also confirmed the report—with these two reputable sources, you know it's a rumor that has some credibility:

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Arsenal's manager, Arsène Wenger, will this week push to close the signing of the defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo from Bayern Munich while he has yet to give up on the Liverpool striker Luis Suárez, who remains their leading target.

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Is Gustavo as sexy a target as Suarez? Certainly not, but he's relatively cheap and would instantly make Arsenal better—those are pretty much the staples of a Wenger transfer target. 

While adding a player who can consistently find the back of the net still must remain a priority, establishing depth in the midfield—most notably the defensive midfield—is still an area of need. 

A compelling argument can certainly be made for Mikel Arteta or Aaron Ramsey, but Gustavo is an intriguing talent. 

He was recently included in Brazil's starting XI for the Confederations Cup, he has been a key contributor for some very successful Bayern squads—although he recently found his way to the bench because of the Bavarians' stacked midfield—and in 22 Bundesliga appearances last season, he scored four goals and completed 93 percent of his passes.

Moreover, the 26-year-old is an aggressive defender with good tackling and interception skills. 

On a technical level, it's tough to not be enamored with the versatile holding midfielder. 

What makes this potential signing even more enticing, however, is that at £14 million, he would be coming to England on what would appear to be a major bargain. 

We've seen reports like these flame out before. Heck, I'm pretty sure Suarez was one physical away from joining the squad on several different occasions. 

But the rumors surrounding Gustavo—who would bring a unique combination of physicality, high work rate and talent—likely have the Arsenal faithful, at least for the moment, extremely excited. 

A "Z" is better than an "S" anyway, right?