Arsenal Transfers News: Latest on Julian Draxler and Lars Bender Rumours

A pair of Bundesliga stars are the latest to hit Arsenal's transfer headlines this week following news the north Londoners are looking to seal deals for Schalke maestro Julian Draxler and Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender.

Serie A champions Juventus look likely to pose the biggest obstacle to the Gunners in the pursuit of Draxler, however, with Italian outlet Sports Mediaset reporting a deal could be agreed by Tuesday, per talkSPORT.  

SASCHA SCHUERMANN/Getty Images

Juve made an offer for the Germany international earlier this summer only to see their bid fail, with talkSPORT stating that Schalke are seeking £22 million for their creative asset.

Draxler netted the equaliser for Schalke in a 1-1 draw against Darmstadt on Saturday and was quoted by Football Italia following that result, giving an enigmatic response when quizzed on his future:

"

My future? I am not the one to talk to, so you’ll have to ask my club. I can only say that for now I am a Schalke player and I’m happy about that.

The situation could change from now to the end of the month, but I repeat for now I am focused on doing my best for Schalke. It is beyond doubt that the interest of some big clubs was very pleasing.

"

From those comments, one can glean Draxler is certainly pleased to be linked with some of Europe's big guns, despite making steady progress as a Schalke player in recent years.

GianlucaDiMarzio.com translator David Amoyal confirms Juve remain interested in cutting a deal for the player, too, insisting the chase is inevitable:

Injuries prevented Draxler from making any substantial impact on Schalke's fortunes last season, making just eight Bundesliga starts as his development hit a stumbling block.

Bleacher Report's Stefan Bienkowksi surmises the player's value has presumably dropped as a result, with other names offering more worth at present:

"

If I was a Wolfsburg fan I'd probably prefer Meyer. Maybe Calhanoglu or even Volland. Doubt Draxler gets you value for money right now.

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) August 20, 2015"

A slow start to the new season saw Arsenal struggling for ideas as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of West Ham United before bouncing back to beat Crystal Palace 2-1.

Manager Arsene Wenger may well see creative resources as the area in need of addressing, but Draxler hasn't long been back to full fitness and seems a risky target at present.

The Gunners may also struggle to fit in a player of his profile right now, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain offering similar attributes to the team.

Arsenal Following up on Bender Scout Mission

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

An £18 million offer for Leverkusen's Bender is in the offing, according to the Mirror, claiming Arsenal were on hand to watch the midfielder in last week's Champions League play-off defeat to Lazio, per Joe Short of the Daily Express.

The Bundesliga giants fell to the Eagles 1-0 in Italy to suffer a setback in their bid to feature in Europe's elite contest, a fate that may come to impact whether Bender remains at the club.

Wenger's midfield woes were worsened just prior to this season's kick-off after Jack Wilshere suffered injury to the ankle that's blighted his development at the Emirates Stadium.

However, the report of an £18 million offer conflicts with reports that emerged from German newspaper Bild earlier in August, insisting the player had a release clause of just £10.6 million, per Messi Minutes:

The Germany international would be considered a steal at that price, but the question is whether Bender would leave the club for whom he was made captain ahead of the new season.

The 26-year-old is clearly enjoying his football at the BayArena after signing a six-year contract extension in October 2013, tying his loyalties to the club until the summer of 2019.

DANIEL ROLAND/Getty Images

One can see why Wenger would seek to rejuvenate his core as the ageing figures of Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini gravitate toward the Emirates Stadium exit and more in-form players are required.

This isn't the first time Bender has arisen as a target for the north Londoners, but while meeting Bender's valuation may not be a great issue, there could be other factors preventing a deal from going through.