Arsenal Transfer News: Fabian Schar Opens Door, Yohan Cabaye Option Emerges

Arsene Wenger must look to bolster Arsenal's defence in January considering their current sparseness at the back, and Basel's Fabian Schar seems to be a genuine option.

The 22-year-old Swiss centre-back has been linked with the Gunners for some time now, per Liam Prenderville in the Mirror, and has suggested he would not be able to turn down a potential move to the Premier League.

Arsenal need added strength in the centre-back position, as Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are their only two genuine options.

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Schar could very well be the answer at a reported £10 million, and he recently suggested he would be open a move to England, per Blick via Nick Lustig in the Daily Star:  

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Basel are open to negotiations, but at this moment I have decided that I want to concentrate on my performances. I went through a difficult period and it wasn't the right time to discuss my renewal. I don't want to be worrying about that now. My dream remains to have an experience abroad. I've always said that if the opportunity presented itself, I would take it, obviously in agreement with Basel. I need a team with important prospects. I'd like the Bundesliga, Premier League or top Italian clubs like Inter, Milan and Juventus. I couldn't say no.

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At 22 years old, Schar would be an excellent investment for Arsenal, and he would no doubt improve under the tutelage of Wenger.

He has been a consistent fixture in the Swiss league this season for table-topping Basel and also has played every minute of their Champions League group campaign, which has included a 1-0 win over Liverpool.

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Another potential January addition for Arsenal could be former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who is reportedly unhappy at Paris St-Germain after moving there in January. He wants a return to England, per Ligue 1 expert Matt Spiro:

As Spiro mentions, Cabaye has been used only sparingly by boss Laurent Blanc this season—six starts and four appearances from the bench in PSG's 12 Ligue 1 games, per WhoScored.com.

Furthermore, when he has played, he has been largely out of form, per Ligue 1 journalist Jonathan Johnson, something of a demise from when he was Newcastle's best player by some distance in the first half of last season:

However, Cabaye is a high-quality creative midfielder and could be an asset at Arsenal, especially if he responds well to a return to the Premier League.

If he is indeed unhappy it would likely be quite easy for Arsenal to engineer a switch, and Wenger would be well advised to try to bring Cabaye to the Emirates.

One player on his way out of the Gunners—if only briefly—is Francis Coquelin, who has made a loan switch to Championship side Charlton Athletic for a month, per the club's Twitter feed:

The 23-year-old French midfielder has made two other loans previously to Freiburg and Lorient in his Arsenal time and has made just one League Cup appearance so far this season.

Charlton are currently ninth in the English second tier, and Coquelin will be eligible for Tuesday's match against Leeds.

Arsenal have been inconsistent so far this term with Alexis Sanchez their only perennial high-performer. Many of their troubles stem from issues at the back, thus Schar would be an excellent signing, while Cabaye's quality is such that he would be foolish to ignore.

Greater strength and depth is needed at Arsenal, who are often plagued by injury and they have two potential winners on their hands for the January transfer window.