Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Yohan Cabaye and Grzegorz Krychowiak

Arsenal probably already needed an extra body in midfield, preferably one with defensive inclinations, before the club's latest spate of injuries. But that need has only been compounded by the loss of both Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta.

Fortunately, it seems Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is already making plans to reinforce the position this January. Yohan Cabaye and Grzegorz Krychowiak are among his top targets.

Wenger certainly needs to be armed with a shortlist in advance of the winter transfer window. Following his side's excellent 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, Wenger confirmed Arteta's latest injury, per Arsenal.com:

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The injury situation is a problem because we have many games and we lost two players tonight. The first one is Mikel Arteta who has another calf problem and that looks quite serious. We also lost Yaya Sanogo to a hamstring problem.

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As if that wasn't bad enough, Wenger knows exactly how long Wilshere will be out. The young international will miss three months, following ankle surgery, per BBC Sport.

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Wenger is reportedly prepared to pay £19 million to prise 28-year-old Cabaye away from mega-rich Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. That's according to Daily Express writer Ben Jefferson:

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That could spark something of a transfer scramble in England, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all believed to be interested in bringing the 28-year-old back to the Premier League.

The Gunners are thought to be slight favourites given their need for a defensive midfield, but the former Lille man will not be short of suitors.

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Cabaye has regularly chafed at life on the PSG bench since moving to the French capital in January 2014. The former Lille and Newcastle United star has made just 15 appearances this term, with eight coming as a substitute, per WhoScored.

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Back in October, the France international lamented his lack of opportunities, per Newcastle Chronicle reporter Mark Douglas: "I need to play, it's true. I know that the staff have choices to make and I respect them. But it's true that this situation does not suit me."

If Cabaye is determined to return to England's Premier League, Wenger and Arsenal are likely to be at the front of the queue of suitors.

He was very keen at the start of the 2013/14 season, controversially bidding £10.2 million, an offer Newcastle rebuffed, per Jeremy Wilson, Luke Edwards and Mark Ogden of the Telegraph.

Reviving interest in the current context makes sense. Cabaye hasn't got the defensive instincts and nous Arteta offers. But he is still a tenacious and willing tackler.

The France international is also a crafty playmaker who can impact a game at both ends of the pitch. Cabaye can thread a pass between the lines to create goals and is blessed with a scoring touch of his own.

Yet as good a fit as Cabaye would be in Arsenal's flowing passing game, many Gunners fans might prefer Krychowiak. The emerging Polish star possesses more obvious defensive attributes.

It's those attributes that could encourage Arsenal to spend £20 million to land Krychowiak in January, per Mirror reporter John Cross:

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The 24-year-old has impressed the north Londoners' scouts but Sevilla would want around £20million for him, and Italians Inter Milan are also keen.

Wenger has money to spend in January, but any deal will come down to whether the Spaniards are prepared to sell and if the Gunners decide Krychowiak is definitely the answer to some of their problems.

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The Arsenal midfield has been without overt physicality for too long. As a tough tackler and tireless worker, Krychowiak would certainly stand out among Arsenal's litany of pocket-edition pass-masters.

Squawka writer Sam Long analysed Krychowiak's game, finding qualities the Gunners sorely lack:

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Krychowiak’s sizeable 6ft 1in could help to ensure that the north Londoners are not over run or out fought in the centre of the park. He is very strong in the air and has already won 39 aerial duels in La Liga this season.

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He is a ball winner, adept at retaining it rather than distributing it. A passing accuracy of 81% would be below average at Arsenal.

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That's certainly the description of the type of midfielder Wenger's recent squads haven't had. As a player four years younger than Cabaye and possessing qualities more in need at Arsenal, Krychowiak represents the better investment.

However, Wenger passed on the chance to sign him for a mere £4 million this summer. If he wasn't completely convinced by him then, it's hard to envisage Wenger suddenly being ready to pay five times that amount a few months later.

It's also equally difficult to imagine Krychowiak rushing for the exit door at Sevilla so soon. As much as this move makes sense for Arsenal, Cabaye is probably the more realistic target at this point.

Wenger can't afford not to at least beef up the numbers in the middle during the winter window. Aside from Wilshere and Arteta, Mesut Ozil and Abou Diaby are also sidelined.

The Gunners need options and variety at this key position if they're going to turn a so-far-stuttering season around.