Morgan Schneiderlin, Marco Reus Transfers Top Arsenal Deadline Rumours

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger failed to rule out making a late swoop on Deadline Day in the aftermath of his team’s 5-0 win against Aston Villa, per the London Evening Standard, but the rumours surrounding the Gunners’ reported pursuits of Morgan Schneiderlin and Marco Reus point towards intriguing summer transfers.

According to French newspaper l’Equipe (h/t Colin Harvey of the Daily Star), the Gunners have agreed a deal with Southampton for Schneiderlin after he rejected the chance to join up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino at north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

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While Arsenal’s apparent failure to add a holding midfielder in January may come back to haunt them in the short term, landing a player like Schneiderlin in the summer would more than make up for it. On paper, he looks a perfect fit for Arsenal, marrying intricacy and industry with a supreme distinction.

As Squawka Football noted at the end of 2014, Schneiderlin excels in various facets of midfield play:

The 25-year-old’s fundamental defensive reflexes are the quality that would bring most to this Arsenal team, though. Schneiderlin’s ability to read the game, cover ground and make vital challenges has been a hallmark of Saints’ supreme defensive effort this season; he’s the player that the Gunners should be targeting as a priority come the end of the campaign.

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Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe took a detailed look at why he'd be a shrewd acquisition ahead of the current transfer window:

Signing the France international would represent a major coup for Wenger’s men, but if they were able to pull off a deal for Reus as well, the summer would be one of real prosperity for those associated with the Gunners. According to the Daily Star on Sunday (h/t Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror), the Borussia Dortmund man quite fancies a move to the Emirates too.

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The aforementioned piece claims that the prospect of working with Wenger is a tantalising one for the player, who—as noted by the piece—has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Reus is reportedly available for a cut-price £20 million at the end of the season. Here's a look at why that premium would represent massive value for money:

As is the case with Schneiderlin, getting Reus on board would be some feat for Arsenal. Admittedly it’d be a little rapacious to add another attacking midfielder to their ranks, but Reus has genuine world-class ability and is a player who would add a real incisive edge to compliment the intricate talents of Mesut Ozil and mercurial vim of Alexis Sanchez.

German football expert Alex Chaffer seems somewhat unconvinced by the reports, though:

With juggernauts of European football like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid having also been linked with the player, per Kit Holden of the Mail Online, it’d be wonderful for the Premier League to see Reus sign for Arsenal. Indeed, from the player’s perspective, a move to the Emirates would surely make a lot more sense than a switch to somewhere like the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reus has relished being a key component in this Dortmund team and although the lure of Europe’s best will be difficult to stave off, he’ll want to play as equally an important role for his new club should he decide to leave the Westfalenstadion. On the face of things, moving to the Emirates and joining this burgeoning Arsenal side could be the perfect move for him.