Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Julian Draxler and Top Gunners Targets

The Emirates was uncharacteristically a hub of transfer activity throughout the summer, and it looks like January’s window will follow suit.

Arsenal promised so much before the season got underway, but, as usual, they haven’t delivered just yet.

Add that problem to Arsene Wenger’s squad being hit by several injuries of late and the French manager has no choice but to spend big in January, with one man top of his wish list.

Schalke 04’s Julian Draxler has been linked with a move to Arsenal for some time now but none of the rumours have materialised for one reason or another.

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However, fresh from the mill comes the news that Wenger and Co. are willing to break the bank to get the German in red—reported via Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express.

Chapman wrote that the Gunners will meet the £37 million buyout clause in Draxler’s contract in January, as they look to replace their out-of-sorts midfielder Mesut Ozil.

Such an idea appears baffling, and the fact remains that Arsenal simply don’t need any more attacking midfielders—they need to focus on their defensive personnel.

A young, solid holding midfielder would fix several problems in Wenger’s current system, as the chances of reaping success with the aging duo of Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini guarding the back line are slim.

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Not that they’re poor players, but whoever gets the nod in the anchor role seems to just watch the game pass them by, forcing attacking players to drop in where they’re not as effective.

Adding a defensive midfield player, say, William Carvalho, would be far more beneficial to Arsenal’s cause, and that’s something that journalist Marco Conradie agrees with:

"

The rumors linking Arsenal with Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler have re-emerged. Again, great player, but not remotely what they need.

— Marco Conradie (@MarcoConradie10) October 11, 2014"

Such an astounding price tag also doesn’t help the move make sense, and Draxler himself recently said that he’s not good enough to warrant such a sum of money—per Bild, via Tom Sheen of The Independent:

“It (the clause) stayed with me. I did not play like 20 clubs were ready to pay this sum for me last season. I have to become attractive to big clubs again.”

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

With Arsenal fans so thirsty for success, bringing in a big name like Draxler will hardly upset the supporters, but in the long run, with no defensive cover, it undoubtedly will.

Elsewhere, the Gunners are reportedly looking to bolster their defensive line from an unlikely source in January, in the shape of Ipswich Town’s Tyrone Mings—per talkSPORT.

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The left-back broke into the first team at Portman Road at the start of this season after Aaron Cresswell made the switch to West Ham in the summer, and he’s already brought about plenty of interest from Premier League clubs—with Crystal Palace seeing a £2.5 million bid rejected for Mings on transfer deadline day.

Fans were calling for manager Mick McCarthy and the club to take the money for a player that was producing far from impressive performances at the start of the campaign, but their decision to hold onto Mings has proved profitable.

The full-back was recently crowned September’s Championship Player of the Month after a string of fantastic performances for Ipswich, and based on that evidence, it’s little wonder that Arsenal are courting him.

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McCarthy, who also picked up the Manager of the Month Award, sung Mings’ praises in the wake of his honour, but insisted he wants the player to remain in blue for a long time—per Sky Sports:

"

Crystal Palace made a big offer for him before the transfer window closed but we want him here for the long term. He’s a young, exciting player who has made a lot of progress in his time here and it’s great to see that his form has been noticed with this award. We’ve acknowledged that as a club too, which is why we offered him a long-term deal. He’s done great.

"

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It means that Arsenal will need to part with plenty of money to lure Mings, who signed for Ipswich for just £10,000, to the Emirates, but it could prove to be worth it in the long term.

As East Anglian Daily Times’ Stuart Watson noted, Mings’ room for progression is what makes him such an exciting talent:

While McCarthy deploys Mings as a left-back, his aerial ability and tactical nous mean that switching inside to centre-back wouldn’t be the hardest transition—and such versatility would certainly appeal to Wenger.

It’s all likely to be a matter of coughing up enough pennies if Arsenal want to land Mings, likewise with Draxler, but based on their recent spending habits, that won’t be an issue.

Should Arsenal make some signings in January, the usual fan optimism will be bombarding social media at the end of the window.