Arsenal Transfer News: Paulo Dybala Fee Named, Marcelo Brozovic Deal 'Close'

Arsenal will have to pay upwards of a whopping £31 million if they’re to land Palermo’s star centre-forward, Paulo Dybala, after the Serie A club’s president named his price for the player.

“He is a world-class player who is being compared with Javier Pastore, so his price-tag matches the skill,” said Maurizio Zamparini, per Simon Rice of The Independent. “We’re talking £31 million and upwards.”

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Here’s a look at what Arsene Wenger would potentially be getting for that substantial outlay:

Dybala is an exceptionally skilful forward who has realised his potential in earnest during this campaign. Since signing for Palermo in 2012, he’s often been a forward who has flickered in and out of games. He’s been afforded a sustained run in the team this season, though, and subsequently we’re beginning to see the best of him.

He’s scored nine Serie A goals already this season, per WhoScored.com. However, as noted here by Squawka, the 21-year-old has been a real creative force for the Rosanero too:

Dybala is not worth £31 million as of yet, though.

It will be intriguing to see if the Argentine can build on his excellent displays for the remainder of the season and finally eradicate the inconsistencies that have blighted him throughout his career to date.

Do that, and we're looking at a potential world-class player in the making. 

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For Arsenal, it’s not really a move that would make sense, anyway. This team is already flush with offensive talents.

As noted by John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Wenger is looking to add to his midfield and defensive options in the midseason window.

Bleacher Report’s James McNicholas runs the rule over a few of those potential options for the Londoners:

With that in mind, it is little surprise to see that the Gunners have been linked with a host of players to fill the obvious voids prevalent in those particular positions.

In fact, according to the Daily Mail (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), Croatian playmaker Marcelo Brozovic is a midfielder that’s very close to agreeing a deal at the Emirates.

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The 22-year-old has reportedly been touted by Arsenal and AC Milan, but the aforementioned piece claims a £6 million deal is close to being struck with the former. Here’s a look at what Brozovic could potentially add to Wenger’s midfield:

If the Arsenal boss can mould Brozovic’s obvious ability, he could be an astute defensive midfield acquisition. He’s not the kind of player who will come into the side and make an immediate impact, though. While his positive attributes are plentiful, the Dinamo Zagreb man looks like the kind of talent who may take a while to adapt to the abrasive nature of the English game.

The Gunners arguably need to add to their defensive options first, anyway. In the long-term, they could be set to acquire a versatile star in the making, with Sky Sports reporting 17-year-old Krystian Bielik is on the cusp of joining the club. 

Potentially, this looks like a marvellous acquisition for Arsenal. The player’s current manager at Legia Warsaw, former Manchester United defender Henning Berg, has had high praise for the Poland youth international. Bielik can play in both defence and midfield, and Berg claims he “does not have any weaknesses,” per the aforementioned piece from Sky Sports.

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Looking at the club’s current senior options at the back, the Emirates faithful will surely be hopeful that some short-term needs are addressed in the January window too. Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk is a young defender who's been impressing north of the border, and he’s admitted in an interview with De Telegraaf (h/t Alex Young of Goal.com) that he's keen on a move to England:

"

I am now 23 and have played at Willem II, FC Groningen and Celtic and am now linked to clubs like Arsenal. Isn't that great?

There are a lot of clubs interested, but Celtic is holding on to a big transfer fee. The club is clear: they don't want to let me go in the winter, because we're playing for four trophies.

I understand the point of view from the club and I see it as a compliment that they don't want to let me go. But we have to be realistic. If there's a nice club from England, we have to talk. I want to develop myself as a player, that's for sure.

"

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Despite Van Dijk’s revelations, Celtic boss Ronny Deila has insisted the player will be going nowhere, per the club’s official Twitter account:

The Dutch defender would be an ideal fit for the Gunners and a player who would cost a lot less than some high-profile names that Arsenal have been linked with. The 23-year-old certainly looks as though he has the requisite qualities to make a big impression in the Premier League, and given Arsenal’s lack of options in this position, he’d surely get playing time too.

Celtic won’t be keen to cash in just yet, though. The Hoops look as though they may have a real fight on their hands to win the Scottish title this year and losing their best defender would be far from ideal preparation for the remainder of the campaign. With that being said, it would be a major surprise to see Van Dijk plying his trade in Scotland next season.