Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Reveals Big Change to Summer Plans

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that his side's late-season form has made him reconsider his plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Gunners have failed to win on just four occasions in the 21 matches they have played since the start of 2015, and they currently sit a lofty third in the Premier League, with two games in hand on second-placed Manchester City.

They are also on course for a second consecutive FA Cup win, and the likes of Francis Coquelin and Olivier Giroud have been in fine form in the second half of the season.

As a result, Wenger has made "massive changes" to his summer transfer plans, as he no longer believes he needs to make wholesale changes to his side, per the Mirror's Adrian Kajumba:

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I believe that some players who were questioned, like Mesut Ozil, have made big improvements in the second part of the season and becomes slowly the leader you want him to be in guiding our game. We are not in need of absolute change. We have a strong squad. We have some strong young players behind. We have a big squad now - Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell, Yaya Sanogo (all forwards currently out on loan) will come back. If you add that to the number of players (we have)…

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Arsenal have certainly been in fine form of late, and if they could recreate such high-quality performances throughout an entire season, they would most certainly be challenging for the title.

Indeed, Bleacher Report's Arsenal expert James McNicholas believes the Gunners have a 50 per cent chance of claiming the title in 2016—for the first time since 2004:

However, the Gunners have often been inconsistent across entire seasons, and Wenger still looks to be a player or two short of a title-winning side considering the strains of a full term. 

Despite Coquelin's recent excellence, Arsenal are arguably still missing a proven force in the defensive-midfield department, a long-term issue at the Emirates.

Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin has previously been mooted as an ideal and potentially available option in the position, per Metro, but it is no longer clear whether Wenger will pursue the Frenchman in the summer:

Similarly, Arsenal have struggled for consistency in goalkeeping terms for some time, with Wojciech Szczesny a worryingly mercurial presence. 

However, Wenger is clearly happy with new man David Ospina, suggesting he has done a "fantastic job" in recent weeks, per Kajumba. The stats seem to suggest the Colombian is a more solid presence than Szczesny, per Sky Sports Football:

Perhaps the area that could do with the most change is in attack. Alexis Sanchez has been immense in his first season in English football, and Oliver Giroud has been firing recently, scoring seven times in his last eight league appearances, per WhoScored.com. 

However, outside of that pairing, Danny Welbeck has been underwhelming in his first season at the Emirates, scoring just four times in 25 league matches, per WhoScored.

Meanwhile, the returning trio referred to by Wenger—Podolski, Campbell, Sanogo—do not inspire great confidence in their ability to bag 20 goals a season.

If Wenger is indeed planning on a frugal summer, he may still wish to make an attacking signing which could bring further quality and goals to Arsenal's forward line.

Arsenal Handed Pedro Boost

David Ramos/Getty Images

Barcelona's Pedro could certainly be an option for Arsenal, with the Camp Nou giants reportedly open to offers for the 27-year-old.

According to Fichajes.net (h/t Metro's George Bellshaw), "a bid in excess of £20 million" could tempt Barca to part with the Spaniard, and Arsenal are set to put in an offer.

Unsurprisingly, Pedro struggles to get into Barcelona's starting lineup—he has made just 13 league starts this season per WhoScored—given the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

But he is a high-quality player, possessing great pace and passing ability, and he would likely fit well into Wenger's system, as he can play either side of a central striker.

Wenger has every right to have confidence in his current squad given their immense form of late. But the French manager has been burned in the past by failing to strengthen properly in the summer.

Arsenal are not far away from having the strength and depth to compete for the title across a whole season. But additions do need to be made, and Pedro could be a valuable asset at the Emirates.