Arsenal Transfer News: World-Class Names Linked in Latest Gunners Rumours

Arsene Wenger admitted that he's "not scared to spend money" prior to Arsenal's draw with Liverpool, per Paul Doyle of The Guardian, a quote that could come to define the Gunners' January transfer window.

Despite surrendering their lead in the final moments on Sunday, the north London side were fortunate to escape Anfield with a point after an uninspired display. They struggled to cope with Brendan Rodgers' 3-4-3 system and rarely found the passing rhythm that so often wears teams down.

Weaknesses were exposed: vulnerability in defence, a lack of physical presence in midfield and, with Alexis Sanchez failing to make a positive impression, bluntness up front. The latest transfer rumours surrounding the side suggest Wenger is looking to address all of these shortcomings in a costly winter spending spree.

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B/R UK's Sean Swaby provided a tweet that indicated Arsenal had unlikely problems on Merseyside:

The most important acquisition is likely to be a defensive midfielder. Anthony Chapman of the Express suggests that Barcelona's Sergio Busquets is "keeping his eye open for a new challenge" and that he "could be tempted by a switch to the Premier League." Arsenal are touted as a possible destination.

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While Busquets is a tremendous player—the kind who provides the invaluable service of keeping things ticking over in midfield so Lionel Messi and Barca's other superstars can do their business—it seems unlikely he would opt to exchange the Blaugrana for Arsenal. He has guaranteed Champions League football, if not trophies, at Camp Nou.

At 26 years old, Busquets is heading toward his prime. Chapman believes Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will also hunt his signature if he becomes available. The latter three sides appear set on enjoying eras of domestic dominance in the next few years. It would therefore be difficult for Wenger to lure the World Cup winner to the Emirates.

There's also a sense Arsenal need a more physical player. Busquets breaks play up well—he has averaged 3.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions during 15 La Liga appearances this season, per WhoScored.com—but he doesn't possess the physicality currently lacking in Arsenal's midfield.

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Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin is also linked with the club, per Metro (h/t The Telegraph), and he would be a better fit for that behemoth role. The aforementioned report states that a bid in the region of £25 million would capture the France midfielder, a fee that would undoubtedly put the validity of Wenger's quote to the test.

This is especially true when you consider other areas that need to be improved. Chapman throws another potential £25 million transfer into the mix by linking Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao to the club. The full-back has done little to justify this price tag over the last two seasons, which have seen him post just nine starts in La Liga, per WhoScored.com.

Coentrao can play on either side of defence, but Wenger doesn't need to spend so heavily on a position that is largely filled. Kieran Gibbs, Nacho Monreal, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and Hector Bellerin provide enough cover in the full-back positions. A new centre-back should be at the core of Wenger's thinking.

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Of course, spending so heavily on a defender isn't as luxurious as bringing in a new attacking threat. David Wright of the Express believes a choice between PSG's Edinson Cavani and Palermo's Paulo Dybala is looming. However, German publication Bild, as tweeted by 101 Great Goals, believes Borussia Dortmund are ready to snap up the latter:

Cavani is undoubtedly the better-known player, but Dybala has proven to be a top-class forward this season. The 21-year-old has scored seven and assisted six in 16 Serie A matches—meaning he's been involved in 59 per cent of his side's 22 goals, per WhoScored.com—and subsequently put himself on the radar of top European sides. Five of his goals and four assists have come in the Argentinian striker's last seven outings.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini recently said that "it would take €40 million to take him away," suggesting that Dybala will be "better" than Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic "within two years," per Mediaset (h/t Gazzetta dello Sport and via Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC). Serie A specialist David Amoyal thinks the player is starting to justify his potential cost:

Football pundit Janusz Michallik recently outlined Arsenal's best transfer possibilities to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey:

Plenty of options are available to Wenger, and he would certainly be wise to strengthen all areas. It would be negligent to let Arsenal's current squad roll on untouched after Christmas—something fans perhaps fear at this time of year.

The draw with Liverpool compounded frustrations and signalled that Arsenal aren't genuine title contenders. Smart work in the January market may help Wenger to overcome this consistent problem in time for next season.