Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Marco Reus and Top Rumours Circling Gunners

Arsenal's hopes of signing Marco Reus suffered a mega blow over the weekend, as the Borussia Dortmund man picked up an injury that looks likely to keep him out until the new year.

Izzy Horsefield of the Express reports that the Gunners were interested in signing the German, who suffered ankle ligament damage during BVB's 2-2 draw with Paderborn on Saturday.

Chelsea were reported to be the favourites to land Reus' signature—potentially offering a cash-plus-Andre Schurrle deal for the forward, reported by Anthony Chapman of the Express—but his latest injury setback couldn't have come at a worse time for those hoping to snap him up.

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Jurgen Klopp recently admitted that the club will struggle to hold onto their key player in January. "We will see [about Reus]," said the boss, per Chapman. "The most important thing is the story of this club will go on. We'll have to do it with other players." It is unlikely Arsene Wenger or anybody else will now risk a hefty amount of money on the sidelined star.

Wenger certainly has plenty to think about after the recent 2-1 loss to Manchester United. The north London side's defence faced minimal pressure against the Red Devils—who registered just two shots on target from 12 attempts, per WhoScored.com—but still managed to come unstuck at important moments.

Arsenal created plenty of chances, but they lacked the quality at both ends of the pitch to overcome a poor United side. Squawka posted telling stats after the match:

Football pundit Janusz Michallik echoed the thoughts of many:

While Kieran Gibbs' own goal was extremely unfortunate, missed chances from the likes of Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere eventually allowed United to profit. The Gunners were sliced open on the counter for the second goal and came up against an inexperienced United defence that performed well after the opening half an hour. Squawka noted the performances of Paddy McNair and David de Gea:

Arsenal lacked the guts and determination to gain a positive result. Such defensive problems have seen the club linked with Basel's Fabian Schar, reported by Tony Stenson of the Daily Star.

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It is said that the Swiss side will accept less than the defender's £10 million valuation due to the imminent expiration of his contract, leaving Wenger with a decent shot at landing a centre-back who has Champions League experience.

His presence would certainly provide a step up from Nacho Monreal, who continues to struggle out of position while Laurent Koscielny battles fitness problems.

Hull left-back Andy Robertson, who performed excellently during Scotland's recent loss to England, is also said to be on Wenger's radar. Chapman suggests both Wenger and Louis van Gaal are interested in the left-back, while the Sunday People (h/t Richard Gibson of the Mirror) provided quotes from Tigers boss Steve Bruce indicating that the top clubs are scouting his emerging talent:

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There has already been one or two with phone calls asking 'to keep me informed.' That's always the first stage. I had it with [Wilson] Palacios when I was at Wigan and then [Antonio] Valencia when he went off to Man Utd. And if this kid keeps performing the way he is then it might become inevitable.

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Robertson has appeared extremely confident during his 10 Premier League appearances this season. He possesses a natural quality on the ball and willingness to bomb forward in possession. Whether the Gunners need him with Gibbs at the club remains to be seen, but he could provide excellent cover if Monreal is to be ditched.

Arsenal fans will undoubtedly be craving defensive reinforcements, as well as that all important destroyer in midfield. Wenger proved himself tactically naive against United—he left his side exposed and failed to change things around once the visitors scored—meaning he needs to spend to improve in January.

Failure to do so is likely to see Arsenal battle for little more than fourth this season. While a familiar story, such predictability is disappointing for a club that should be aiming for more.