Arsenal Transfer News: Morgan Schneiderlin Hints at Exit, Sami Khedira Latest

Morgan Schneiderlin has expressed his ambitions to play in the Champions League and suggested he may wish to leave Southampton, giving Arsenal a boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman.

Though Southampton are currently second in the Premier League table after a terrific, if surprising, start to the season, Schneiderlin has conceded that he wants to play for a bigger club.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has been a star player for Saints and is exactly the type of combative, cool presence Arsenal have for so long needed in front of their defence, and he has boosted the Gunners' prospects of potentially signing him, per L'Equipe (h/t Liam Prenderville in the Mirror):

"

A career passes quickly and I want to play for a big club. Today I am at Southampton, we are second in the Premier League, it's going well. We'll see at the end of the season if [a transfer] will happen. If we have qualified for the Champions League, I will make the choice.

"

As John Cross in the Mirror reported, Arsene Wenger has been pursuing Schneiderlin for some time now, although his priority in the upcoming January transfer window is a new central defender.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

However, he may be able to tempt the Saints man to make his move to the Emirates in the summer if Arsenal finish in the top four.

Not since Patrick Vieira have Arsenal had a dominating, authoritative figure in the middle of the park. Schneiderlin would likely be an excellent man to fill that role considering his terrific range of passing, his penchant for goalscoring—he already has three this season—and his excellent defensive work, per WhoScored.com: 

His experience in the Premier League also makes him an attractive prospect for Wenger and Arsenal as he would likely need little time to play his way into form in north London.

While Arsenal would ideally wish to add a new defensive midfielder in January, they reportedly only have £20 million to spend, per Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail, which must be used to bolster a weak defence.

However, Schneiderlin should remain a long-term target for the Gunners as he is clearly open to a move away from Southampton and would make a huge difference to Arsenal's play.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Another long-term transfer target is Real Madrid's Sami Khedira whose interminable links with Arsenal have been running for months.

The Gunners have been dealt something of a blow in their pursuit of the World Cup winner, though, with reports suggesting he is set to finally sign a new contract with Los Blancos having seen his former club teammate Mesut Ozil flop in the Premier League, per Anthony Chapman in the Express.

Khedira's Real contract is set to expire at the end of the season and Arsenal—along with Chelsea and Manchester United, per Chapman—had all been reportedly eager to sign up the 27-year-old in a cut-price deal in January.

Carlo Ancelotti had recently hinted at the possibility of Khedira departing the Bernabeu, but there is seemingly still little known for sure about his future, per Spanish radio station Al Primer Toque (h/t 101 Great Goals):

"There are indications that Khedira is going to go, but he shows he likes Madrid and nothing is sure yet"

Much like Schneiderlin, Khedira is a fine midfield marshal who can start attacks with his strong range of passing, while his organisational and defensive skills could solve the problem of the Gunners' last two fixtures when they have thrown away leads.

The deep-lying midfield role is an area Arsenal desperately need to strengthen as current options Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta simply do not cut the mustard.

If Khedira is available in January, Wenger must go in for him. If not, a return for Schneiderlin in the summer would be a wise move.