Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Lukas Podolski, Jurgen Klopp and More

Arsenal's disappointing 2014-15 campaign continued with a 2-1 loss against Manchester United on Saturday, and following this latest setback, the rumour mill is buzzing with transfer speculation regarding both players and the future or Arsene Wenger himself.

Reinforcements are desperately needed in the January window, while one current contributor appears all but ready to move on from the Gunners. Meanwhile, a certain German manager could replace current boss Wenger, but the situation is anything but clear.

Here's the latest transfer news coming out of the Emirates Stadium.

Lukas Podolski's January Exit Almost Inevitable

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Forward Lukas Podolski didn't appear happy with having to spend another 90 minutes on the bench against Manchester United, and he didn't mince his words when he spoke to German magazine Kicker (h/t The Telegraph) afterwards:

"I like London, I like the club, but I don't like the situation," he said. "I'm not some clown who can sit out his contract in the stands."

The 29-year-old is yet to start a single Premier League or Champions League match, according to WhoScored.com, and his frustrations at not seeing regular minutes are understandable given he has scored three goals in three FA Cup starts.

Form isn't the issue, so one has to assume Wenger simply doesn't rate the Germany international enough to start him over the likes of Olivier Giroud or Danny Welbeck.

As shared by Bleacher Report UK, his quotes to Kicker were only the start of Podolski's rant against the club:

The former FC Koln man has been calling for more playing time all season, to no avail, and at this point in time, a January exit seems inevitable. Wenger isn't willing to listen to his demands, and Podolski is clearly done playing nice.

Unless something drastically changes in the coming weeks, it looks as if the marriage between Podolski and the Gunners will be coming to an end very soon.

What Will Gunners Do in Jurgen Klopp Chase?

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Jurgen Klopp may be on his way to the Premier League, and the Daily Mail's Martin Samuel wonders whether the Gunners can take the slow approach in deciding what to do about the manager position.

Klopp recently talked about a move to England, via Samuel, launching a wave of speculation regarding his future:

"I think it’s the only country where I should work, because it’s the only country I know the language a little bit and I need the language for my work," he said. "If somebody will call me, then we will talk about it."

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The German has been in charge of Borussia Dortmund for years but continues to lose his best players to Bundesliga-powerhouse Bayern Munchen, and following a disastrous start to the 2014-15 domestic season, it is now being suggested he could be ready to leave.

Wenger has guided Arsenal into the future, becoming a club legend in the process. But the Gunners have hardly won any silverware in the last years and seem to perennially disappoint on the domestic level.

The club could be ready to move in a new direction, or they may not be. But Samuel suggests the timing of Klopp's potential availability present Arsenal with a dilemma:

"

Fairly unequivocal, then. So where do Arsenal go from here? Delay and they may lose Klopp forever. 
[...]This is now a huge call for Arsenal, the club seen as Klopp’s spiritual home in England. Do they let the opportunity pass as an unfortunate case of bad timing, or pick up the telephone?

Do that and they must be prepared to think the unthinkable on Arsene Wenger — although the longer they remain mid-table the more thinkable the unthinkable becomes.

"

The Daily Mirror's John Cross finds the timing of the rumours odd:

Regardless, none of this matters if the Arsenal board are determined to continue working with Wenger, and as of right now, Klopp still has a job in Dortmund.

It will be interesting to see how the Gunners handle the position in the coming months, but until either manager actually loses his job, this rumour won't go beyond speculation.

Marcelo Brozovic Will Cost Gunners, Say Dinamo Zagreb

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Dinamo Zagreb executive director Zdravko Mamic told sportski.net (h/t Goal's Liam Twomey) star midfielder Marcelo Brozovic could be available to potential suitors, but only if the price is right:

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We have no offers. If someone wants one of our key players, it can only be with a memorable bid, if they knock me off my feet [an offer too good to refuse]. That is my principle. And the numbers appearing in the media do not interest us.

"

The news comes on the same day Croatian newspaper Jutarnji claims the 22-year-old has agreed to join Turkish club Besiktas, as reported by Turkish-Football's Eren Sarigul. Jutarnji reports a €7 million valuation of the player, which seems low given Mamic's comments on the subject.

Brozovic is a talented midfielder who acts as a playmaker for Dinamo but has the versatility to drop into a more defensive role, as he often does for Croatia's national team.

He could be the answer to the Gunners' midfield struggles, but Wenger would undoubtedly have hoped for a cut-price deal in January. With that possibility apparently off the table, one has to wonder whether the Arsenal boss will look for a more experienced option as he attempts to salvage the 2014-15 season.

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