Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Latest News and Speculation Surrounding Gunners

Arsenal look set to miss out on Palermo’s Paulo Dybala with reports suggesting the Serie A sensation is poised to sign for Borussia Dortmund.

As reported by Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express, the Gunners, Manchester United and Chelsea are all big admirers of the 21-year-old, who has lit up the top flight with an array of magnificent displays so far this season. The piece claims that BVB’s representatives have already held preliminary discussions with the Argentine.

Here’s a glimpse at what he could add to the Arsenal cause:

A move to Dortmund may not have been on the cards for Dybala with the German club languishing in the lower reaches of the Bundesliga, but Jurgen Klopp’s side seem to have picked up form and are poised to make a run at the Champions League spots. The club also has a fine record for honing the skills of up-and-coming young talent, something that would surely appeal to the player.

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Bleacher Report’s German football expert Clark Whitney thinks that Dortmund might have to sell some key players in order to capture him, though:

If the Westfalenstadion club don’t make it to the Champions League next season there may be an opportunity for the likes of Arsenal to make a move for the young forward. On paper he has the characteristics needed to flourish at the Emirates as well.

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Dybala has all the technical qualities to fit seamlessly into this Arsenal team. He boasts blistering pace, intricate dribbling skills and so far this campaign a forensic eye for goals too. As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, Dybala is one of the top scorers in the division so far this season:

But while the Emirates faithful would surely be thrilled by Dybala’s skills, Dortmund seems like the perfect step for him to make at this stage of his career. At the Westfalenstadion he can play with a freedom and without the intense spotlight that comes with a transfer to a Premier League team, refining his raw talent under the tutelage of a fine young manager.

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Other reports aren’t quite as positive for Arsenal fans, with Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express suggesting that Spanish champions Atletico Madrid are very keen on signing Santi Cazorla. According to the report, such is their willingness to sign the Spanish midfielder, they’ll sell Turkish star Arda Turan to raise the funds to pursue a deal.

According to WhoScored.com, Cazorla has been Arsenal’s best central midfielder this season:

Indeed, the Spanish schemer has had to perform a variety of roles for this Arsenal team so far in 2014/15. He’s played wide, behind the striker and in an orthodox central midfield role throughout the campaign, showcasing his versatility and value to the Gunners’ cause.

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Perhaps that’s why his form has been a little bit up and down so far this season, as noted by Bleacher Report’s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas:

Encouragingly for those supporters who would be sad to see the mercurial Spaniard leave the club at the end of the season, there are details to this potential deal that don’t really seem to add up. According to the piece, Cazorla wants to play in his favoured No. 10 role, but manager Diego Simeone rarely plays a system that accommodates that kind of player anyway.

In addition, while Cazorla isn’t a player who shirks his defensive responsibility, Turan’s dynamism off the ball makes him a lot better suited to Simeone’s bespoke principles. Nonetheless, the former Villarreal man is 30 years old now, so if a club came in with a big money offer, it’s something that Arsene Wenger would surely have to consider.