Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Paulo Dybala, Krystian Bielik

Christmas is right around the corner, and for football fans all over the world that means their favourite clubs are being linked with a host of players ahead of the January transfer window as the rumour mill works overtime.

Things are no different for Arsenal, who are widely expected to be among the most active clubs in the transfer market in an attempt to work their way into the Premier League's top four.

Not all rumours are created equally, however, so let's dissect the latest news coming out of the Emirates and see which rumours to believe.

Borussia Dortmund Plan to Outbid Arsenal for Paulo Dybala

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Argentinian newspaper Clarin (h/t Daily Star's Colin Harvey) claims Borussia Dortmund have identified Palermo youngster Paulo Dybala as the natural replacement for Marco Reus and have already offered the Sicilians an astonishing £37.7 million for his services.

The Germans' offer dwarfs Arsenal's, which Clarin believes to be £31.4 million.

The 21-year-old forward is a phenomenal talent, and Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini previously suggested it will take at least €40 million to pry him away from the club, via GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal:

Dybala will never fetch such a fee in January, however. The youngster has flashed all of his potential in the 2014-15 season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in just 16 Serie A matches, according to WhoScored.com. But half a season's worth of production doesn't equate to a world-class price tag.

The suggestion Dortmund will be willing to pay nearly double what they're set to make on the sale of Reus, who reportedly has a £20-million buyout clause, per Harvey, is almost as absurd as Arsene Wenger spending over £30 million on an unproven attacker when his defence is in dire need of help.

Dybala is a phenomenal talent, but as shared by Bleacher Report's Clark Whitney, that doesn't mean he will be an instant-impact player:

Arsenal spent a lot of money on the attacking duo of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez in summer—they're not going add yet another high-priced striker at the cost of ignoring the back four.

At this point in his career, Dybala will likely fetch a fee in the vicinity of £20 million, and for that price, plenty of top teams will be interested in "the next Sergio Aguero." But the Gunners need to focus on centre-backs and holding midfielders first.

Krystian Bielik to Decide Future over Christmas

Polish starlet Krystian Bielik will decide whether he moves to Arsenal or stays with Legia Warsaw over Christmas, according to the London Evening Standard's James Olley:

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Krystian Bielik will decide over Christmas whether to join Arsenal or stay at Legia Warsaw.

The Gunners held talks with the 16-year-old in London last week over a £1.6million move, with manager Arsene Wenger keen to seal a transfer next month.

But Standard Sport understands Bielik has been promised regular first-team football by Legia manager Henning Berg should he stay at the club.

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The 16-year-old hasn't been a regular for Legia, but his obvious potential has prompted manager Henning Berg to take action in an attempt to keep him at the club. Given his young age, it would be understandable for his family to prefer a lengthened stay in Warsaw.

Bielik has excellent size and technical ability for a holding midfielder, although it has been suggested he could also make the move to the centre-back position.

The Polish youth international is far from the finished product, however, and while he boasts a lot of potential, he hasn't really shone while playing in the Polish top division. According to Polish football expert Ryan Hubbard, his family would prefer for him to wait until summer to decide on a transfer:

Arsenal are in dire need of some defensive reinforcements, and Bleacher Report's Ryan Bailey and Janusz Michallik recently discussed a number of possibilities:

While there's nothing wrong with adding young talent, Bielik isn't a can't-miss prospect. A reported fee of £1.6 million is rather steep for a youngster who comes with some question marks, and waiting until summer to see how his progression continues wouldn't be such a bad move.

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