Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Ezequiel Garay and Morgan Schneiderlin Rumours

Arsenal are reportedly interested in bolstering their back line with the addition of Zenit Saint Petersburg defender Ezequiel Garay, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The 28-year-old only made the switch to the Russian outfit last summer, but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is hoping that a bid of around £13 million will be enough to secure his services.

Garay established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe during his time with Benfica and went on to enjoy a fruitful, title-winning campaign with Zenit in 2014/15.

Even so, the defender is reportedly hoping for a transfer to a club with a bit more clout to cement his place on the international stage with Argentina, and the Gunners certainly fit that bill.

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The Telegraph’s report states that Wenger is looking to land Garay as an alternative to Per Metesacker at the heart of the Arsenal defence, yet recent developments suggest that the Argentinian could be a replacement for Lorent Koscielny.

According to the Daily Mirror, (via the Daily Telegraph), Real Madrid are preparing a £21 million bid for the Frenchman, with defensive stalwart Sergio Ramos’ future still very much up in the air.

However, even if Garay arrives, it’s imperative that Arsenal keep hold of Koscielny.

Squad depth has been one of the Gunners’ major weaknesses down the years, with defensive cover scarce to say the least.

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But with Garay, Koscielny, Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista, Arsenal would finally have the defensive personnel needed to launch a legitimate assault on the Premier League and Champions League titles.

This transfer is still in the early stages of its development, but Garay would be a great addition at the Emirates Stadium.

If you can land a top defender for as little as £13 million, then you’d be silly not to go for it. The ball is now in Wenger’s court.

Morgan Schneiderlin

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While Arsenal fans will be encouraged by the Garay news, they may have to concede defeat in the race to sign Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

According to Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star, Manchester United have had a £20 million bid—potentially rising to £25 million—accepted for the highly sought-after Frenchman.

Schneiderlin has been linked with the Gunners in the past few transfer windows, but the move has never materialised.

The emergence of Francis Coquelin could well have had something to do with that this time around, although Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe believes Arsenal need another holding midfielder in their ranks to really compete:

The Southampton star would have been many fans’ first choice for the job, and it seems the player himself returns the admiration.

As reported by France Football’s Philippe Auclair, Schneiderlin would prefer a move to Arsenal over Manchester United:

Contract negotiations at Old Trafford could well be underway by now, though, which means that Wenger has to act fast if he’s to steal Schneiderlin from under United’s nose.

It would seem logical to match the bid made by United, but you get the sense that the French manager may well have a trick up his sleeve—a powerful, Portuguese trick.

William Carvalho has also been linked with the Gunners for some time, and the Sun reports (h/t Jack de Menezes of the Independent) that Arsenal have tabled a £28.5 million bid for the midfielder.

It seems that could be money well spent, as Ryan Bailey and Tighe discuss in Bleacher Report’s exclusive video:

Landing Carvalho or Schneiderlin will require a big outlay by the Gunners, but either would be a necessary capture rather than a luxury one.

Competing for trophies means having world-class reinforcements in your ranks, and although Arsenal came up short in the Premier League last term, you sense they’re just a few players away from making amends in 2015/16.