Arsenal Transfer News: Winston Reid to Leave, Latest Morgan Schneiderlin Rumours

Arsenal were handed a massive boost in their search for a new centre-back on Monday, as West Ham boss Sam Allardyce conceded he does not expect star defender Winston Reid to put pen to paper on a contract extension.

The New Zealand international is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and as reported by Eurosport, Allardyce doesn't believe the club can convince him to stay: "I would say it’s highly unlikely that Winston is going to sign for us based on what people have said to me."

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Reid has been heavily linked with a January move to the Emirates Stadium, and this latest development could help speed up the process. Allardyce knows the time to cash in is now, and by saying he thinks the defender is on his way out, he has publicly invited the Gunners to make their offer.

The 26-year-old has been the heart and soul of West Ham's back four in the past few seasons, as evidenced by this stat, courtesy of Squawka Football:

The 2014-15 campaign has been business as usual for Reid, ranking near the top of the Premier League when it comes to making clearances, via WhoScored.com:

Arsenal's defensive depth has been severely tested by a rash of injuries this campaign, and manager Arsene Wenger is widely expected to address the area in January.

An experienced Premier League contributor would be ideal, and Bleacher Report's Ryan Bailey and Janusz Michallik highlighted Reid as a prime candidate:

Allardyce's admission the centre-back is likely on his way out of the club opens the door for a move, and while it's tempting to wait until summer and pick Reid up on a free transfer, the Gunners will likely prepare an offer to speed up the process and bring him into the fold in January.

One player who likely won't be making the move to north London in January is Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, who told Telefoot, via Metro, he intends to finish the season with the Saints before considering his options.

"It’s always difficult to leave in January," he said. "I think I’ll finish the season at Southampton and we’ll see what will happen next. I don’t set my mind on these things anymore."

The France international is enjoying another fantastic season and has established himself as one of the Premier League's top holding midfielders, combining excellent vision and passing ability with the brute force required to shield the Saints defence against the very best attackers England has to offer.

He's been instrumental in Southampton's strong first half of the season, underlined by the squad's loss of form as soon as he went down with an injury in late November. NOW TV Sport shared the club's record during that span:

The 25-year-old is deserving of a transfer to a top club, and Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes he'll demand the transfer fee to go with such a move:

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman witnessed first-hand what his squad would look like without the Frenchman patrolling midfield in December, and the results weren't pretty.

The Saints will likely do whatever they can to avoid losing Schneiderlin in January, and they must be happy to hear their star midfielder isn't pushing for a move either.

Given their need for a top holding midfielder, Arsenal will likely be favourites to sign Schneiderlin once the summer transfer window opens. But as things stand, don't expect the French star to complete a move in January.  

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