Arsenal Transfer News: Shock Rumours Surrounding Arsene Wenger's January Plans

January could prove to be the most important month in Arsenal’s 2014/15 campaign, as unless manager Arsene Wenger brings in the necessary talent to give the Gunners their big-team bite back, a season of mediocrity awaits.

And should that happen, the Frenchman’s time at the helm could well be coming to an end. So, who does Wenger have eyed up for next month’s window?

Paulo Dybala

Alessandro Fucarini/Associated Press

Arsenal’s hunt for a top-quality striker looked to be over when Danny Welbeck put pen to paper on deadline day this summer, but the fact remains that a player capable of netting 25-plus goals still eludes the Gunners’ squad.

However, the wait could soon be over for someone to finally fill Thierry Henry’s boots, with exciting Palermo youngster Paulo Dybala linked with a move to the Emirates, per Ole (h/t Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror).

The 21-year-old striker is currently enjoying a coming-of-age season in Serie A, netting seven goals in the opening 14 fixtures, according to WhoScored.com, and prising him away from Italy could prove quite a simple task.

Alessandro Fucarini/Associated Press

Dybala himself revealed to Ole, via Richards, that he’d relish playing his football at the Emirates despite being focused on the job at hand at Palermo for now:

“To know that someone like that thinks highly of me fills me with pride. I can't deny that going to Arsenal and playing in the Premier League would be great, but at the moment I'm a Palermo player.”

That all seems rather encouraging, but a hefty price tag could well be enough to see Wenger look elsewhere.

Richards wrote that Dybala would set the Gunners back all of £31 million, which is a staggering fee for someone who is yet to prove themselves at the highest level.

That’s a topic that James Horncastle touches upon in his video for The Guardian, labelling the Argentinian a “revelation” despite his shaky start to life with Palermo:

Dybala is a live wire up front, constantly buzzing around looking for openings and chances to get his name on the scoresheet.

In that respect, he’s very similar to Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez, but does his fruitless time with the Red Devils prove that the Premier League doesn’t suit that kind of player?

Alessandro Fucarini/Associated Press

That being said, Arsenal need a finisher—someone to be on the end of their exciting build-up play—but Wenger needs to act fast if he’s to land Dybala.

The longer the 21-year-old remains with Palermo, the more his price tag and list of suitors will rise.

Likelihood Factor: 3/10

Dybala is undoubtedly a talented player but unless Palermo lower their asking price, Wenger will stay away.

Tyrone Mings

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For everything said about Arsenal’s need for a striker, it’s their defensive line that’s been causing them the most trouble this season—and Ipswich Town’s Tyrone Mings could well be the man to provide the solution.

As Jeremy Wilson of The Daily Telegraph reports, Wenger is preparing to part with £8 million for the talented left-back, who’s been touted by a number of top-level clubs heading into the January window.

Mings, who signed for the Tractor Boys for just £10,000, has been one of the club’s standout performers in their promotion-chasing season, and he has all the attributes of a top-class defender.

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His aerial prowess, pace, power and distribution have been key to Ipswich’s flying start to 2014/15, but could he cut it in the Premier League?

Well, Wenger seems to think so, as he revealed that he’s tracking the 21-year-old’s progress—per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

However, Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy doesn’t think Mings is going anywhere, as he told BBC Radio Suffolk, via BBC Sport, that Arsenal’s interest is more of a compliment rather than a threat:

"

I'm glad that they are looking at him. It's great that. It's what makes the world go around. We get players and if they are really good players, big clubs buy them. But they are all under contract, so there is nobody going anywhere. I hope Chelsea are looking at Christophe Berra and Man United are looking at David McGoldrick, because if that's the case, it means we've got good players.

"

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While £8 million is a good price for a player that has scope to develop into one of the country’s best, the chances of him leaving Portman Road are very slim, particularly in the January window.

Likelihood Factor: 4/10

Mings will remain an Ipswich Town player unless Wenger offers a fee well in excess of his price tag. Should the Tractor Boys fail to earn promotion this season, then Arsenal will have a greater chance of landing their man in the summer.