Arsenal Transfer News: Morgan Schneiderlin, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Rumours

Arsenal have slipped behind Manchester United in the race to sign Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, according to reports.

Alex Crook of the Daily Mirror writes that Louis van Gaal sees the Frenchman as the perfect player to add some steel to the heart of his midfield. The piece also claims that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger wants to build a title-winning team around Schneiderlin, who would apparently cost around £25 million.

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Here’s a look at how the Saints man compared to Arsenal's and United’s main midfield men last season in the Premier League:

	Schneiderlin	Cazorla	Herrera
Apps (Sub)	24 (2)	33 (4)	19 (7)
Goals	4	7	6
Assists	1	11	4
Passes per Game	61.2	64	59.8
Dribbles per Game	0.6	2.4	1
Tackles per Game	3.7	1.6	2.8
Interceptions per Game	2.6	1.1	2

Schneiderlin seems like a natural fit for the Gunners, and although Francis Coquelin has done an admirable job at the base of the midfield, a holding player of supreme quality must be top of Wenger’s shopping list this summer. Someone like Schneiderlin would be absolutely perfect to add some grit to this team, too.

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However, it’s clear that the Londoners aren’t the only ones interested. As noted in Crook’s piece, Saints boss Ronald Koeman admitted there is interest in the team’s prized asset, and for United, there’s clearly a void to fill in defensive midfield.

Nooruddean Choudry of the Daily Mirror, a United fan, seems excited by the prospect of the Frenchman joining up with the Red Devils:

At this juncture, although it’s claimed in the aforementioned article that Juventus and Atletico Madrid both want him, Schneiderlin looks destined to join up with either Arsenal or United. Both sides will surely make compelling cases to lure him to their club, but looking at the player’s attributes, the Emirates seems a better match.

Not only does the Frenchman possess the instinctive defensive traits that the Gunners so desperately need, but as is obvious by the above statistics, he’s an excellent manipulator of the ball, too. A player who blends spades of industry with enamouring intricacy would be perfect for Arsenal, and the club must do their utmost to ensure they get him.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Targeted

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According to reports in France, (h/t Will Giles of Metro) the Gunners are set to splash £29.9 million on Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Aubameyang is a versatile forward and has been deployed in various roles in this Dortmund team. For long spells he was played in a wide role by Jurgen Klopp, but with Ciro Immobile struggling for form, the Gabon star has operated as an orthodox centre-forward; according to WhoScored.com, he’s scored 15 goals in 26 appearances at the point of the attack.

Here’s a look at what kind of traits the 25-year-old would add to the Arsenal front line:

If Wenger was to sign Aubameyang, he’d definitely give the Gunners a different edge in the final third. The Dortmund man has scintillating pace, and the prospect of him latching onto passes from the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla would surely be a tantalising one for Arsenal supporters.

As noted by Cristian Nyari of FCB Media, he’s done a wonderful job helping Dortmund fill the void that was left by the departing Robert Lewandowski:

There are doubts about whether or not he’s the kind of player Arsenal are in desperate need of, though. Indeed, someone in Schneiderlin’s mould and some more defensive reinforcements must be higher in Wenger’s priorities in the summer window.

Bleacher Report’s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas thinks a new goalkeeper should be the first port of call for the Londoners:

In a summer that is going to be rife with transition at the Westfalenstadion, you expect new Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel will do his utmost to keep hold of Dortmund’s top players. In the second half of the campaign, Aubameyang has cemented his status as one of the critical men in the set-up and, subsequently, it'll be tough to prise him away.

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The Gabon star would certainly add a fearsome dimension to Arsenal’s attacking forays. But as Wenger looks to build a side that is capable of mounting a title charge of considerable clout, there are a lot more gaps to fill in this squad before thoughts turn to spending circa £30 million on Aubameyang.