Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Winston Reid, Andre-Pierre Gignac and More

Arsenal's injury crisis is showing no sign of abating, with boss Arsene Wenger reportedly looking to bring in West Ham's New Zealand defender Winston Reid to shore up the defence in January.

Reid joined the Hammers from Danish side FC Midtjylland in 2010 following a standout World Cup with the All Whites. 

Since then the Kiwi has become a fixture at the heart of Sam Allardyce's defence but, with his contract expiring in the summer, Wenger is hoping to prize the 26-year-old away from Upton Park for a knock-down price, per John Cross of the the Daily Mirror:

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Wenger has sent scouts to check on in him in recent weeks, with Reid yet to commit himself to a new contract.

[...] Arsenal could try and get him on the cheap in January as Wenger has already said he will definitely look to buy in the next window.

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Wenger is desperate for cover at centre-back when the transfer window opens in the new year, with injuries forcing him to rely on Calum Chambers at the back in recent weeks.

Allardyce is obviously keen to keep hold of his star defender, but admits West Ham may not be able to match the kind of money offered by the bigger clubs, per Phil Cadden of the Daily Star.

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It's not that he doesn't want to stay. It's about the financial remuneration and whether they can come to the right level, give or take or negotiation that gets us to a point where he will say, 'yes'.

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As football writer SamuelJayC suggests, the low transfer fee makes the deal even more attractive for Arsenal:

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

While Wenger acknowledges his side have problems at the back, his hopes of bringing in fellow Frenchman Andre-Pierre Gignac at the other end of the pitch appear to have stalled.

The international striker, who leads the way in Ligue 1 with 10 goals this season, is close to agreeing a contact extension at Marseille, according to L'Equipe (h/t Vaishali Bhardwaj of the Metro).

With Olivier Giroud on the injury list, and the likes of Lukas Podolski seemingly on the fringes at the Emirates Stadium, Gignac could be just the kind of striker to propel the Gunners up the table.

The powerful forward is known for his aerial ability, but is more than useful with the ball at his feet, as this goal for France against Austria shows:

Charles Perrin of the Express, meanwhile, reports that long-term Arsenal target Pedro has handed in a transfer request at Barcelona, which could prompt Wenger into tabling a bid for the Spaniard in January.

Perrin reports that the Spanish forward is looking for more game time, having played the full 90 minutes in just four of his 11 Barcelona games so far this season.

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Reports on the continent suggest Pedro has handed in a transfer request to force a move away from Barcelona.

It is thought Pedro wants more game time and is hoping to leave the Catalan giants in January.

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However, with Theo Walcott returning from injury, and the improving performances of Alexis Sanchez so far this season, it will be interesting to see whether Wenger pursues another attacking option:

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Reid represents the most necessary purchase and would fill the gaps in Arsenal's leaky back four in January while still leaving enough money in the coffers to strengthen other areas of the squad.

It will be an action-packed transfer window for Wenger, no doubt, with pressure to prove Arsenal's title-winning credentials.