Arsenal Transfer News: Antonio Rudiger Must Be Gunners' January Priority

Stuttgart's super talented Antonio Rudiger is a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan, and with his current club struggling, the Gunners have to pounce and complete a transfer in the January window.

The 20-year-old centre-back who started Germany's Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland has been linked with a move to the Premier League, and he told Bild (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson) he grew up an Arsenal fan:

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I have always dreamed of the Premier League.

I have been following Arsenal since the days of Henry and Bergkamp. I watch videos of Arsenal all the time on YouTube and I often wear the current Alexis Sanchez shirt.

My heart beats for Arsenal.

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Chelsea were believed to be close to sealing a £7 million move for the highly rated defender, per Sanderson, but it seems Rudiger would prefer a move to their London rivals.

Rudiger isn't just any talented youngster. Since making his debut during the 2012-13 season, he has grown into Stuttgart's top defender and arguably their best performer, and his inclusion in the Germany squad that took on Poland came as no surprise to followers of the Bundesliga.

Blessed with incredible size, excellent athleticism and technique to spare, Rudiger is a dominant force in the air and far from a liability in the buildup play. FourFourTwo's Alex Chaffer wrote a comprehensive scouting report on the youngster, sharing Germany manager Joachim Low's comments on his performance in training:

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Still young at 21, Rüdiger may have a few more years of bulking up in him – as if he needs it. The imposing defender isn’t just strong aerially and in the tackle; he’s also a tidy ball-playing defender, and has completed a reasonable 83.7% of his passes this season.  
 
Rüdiger is surprisingly quick for a defender. Joachim Low described him as "another Jerome Boateng, just because they’re so alike". He impressed massively in Germany training, apparently showing off his raw strength and calm composure regularly. All of these attributes already make for a top-class defender in the Bundesliga, as Low attests: "He’s been one of our strongest defenders in training and that’s why he’s playing."

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His size and defensive ability make him a natural fit as a centre-back in the Premier League, but he has the athleticism to excel further up the pitch as a holding midfielder. While he'll never be a world-class distributor, his mean streak and physicality is something any top club would welcome.

And no club needs it more than Arsenal do. Injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy have highlighted the Gunners' lack of defensive depth, and Arsene Wenger is yet to find a holding midfielder he can trust to get the job done against top competition.

Rudiger's versatility would make him the perfect short-term solution to fix both problems. Stuttgart don't play in any of the European competitions this season, meaning he would be available for selection in the Champions League should the Gunners advance to the next round.

His immense potential means he would also be an excellent long-term investment. Per Mertesacker is still one of the Premier League's top defenders if his form doesn't betray him, but pundits are already talking about Rudiger potentially being the centre-back to pair Mats Hummels at Euro 2016—he's that good.

Last but not least—unlike many top talents in the game today, Rudiger is expected to be available in the January window. Stuttgart sit dangerously close to the relegation zone in the Bundesliga, via WhoScored.com, and Chaffer believes it could lead to a transfer:

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Stuttgart are in a difficult place right now, on a downward slope and hoping returning boss Armin Veh can help turn things around. Now might be as good a time as any for Rudiger to say goodbye – however hard that may be.

He left Dortmund as a youth player with the goal of playing more regular first-team football, and has achieved that at VfB. His next step could be on the European stage with another team, Stuttgart looking unlikely to take him there again anytime soon. 

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If Stuttgart's asking price truly is as little as £7 million, Wenger shouldn't even have to think about this deal. Rudiger has world-class potential, is ready to contribute immediately and would demand only a minimal investment.

Pick up the phone, Wenger, and make sure Rudiger's next jersey won't have Alexis Sanchez's name on the back but his own.

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