Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Riyad Mahrez and Edinson Cavani Rumours

Arsenal are set to make a shock move for Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez before the end of the transfer window, as manager Arsene Wenger bids to bolster his attacking options.

That’s according to an exclusive piece from Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star, who writes that the Foxes flyer has caught the eye of the Gunners chief with some vibrant displays. But as noted in the aforementioned article, Leicester are insistent that he will not be sold before Tuesday’s cutoff.

As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, Mahrez is a player who has started the 2015-16 term in sensational form:

Capable of being stationed on either wing, the 24-year-old has been twisting Premier League defenders inside out all season. When he’s confident, Mahrez is up there with the best wide players in English football’s top flight, and he’d certainly afford the Gunners a different edge to their forward surges.

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

He’s added goals to his game recently, which has quickly made him a household name. But at the moment, Mahrez is not quite ready for a move to Arsenal, nor should the Gunners pursue him. As noted by Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri was bullish when previously quizzed on the prospect of selling the player:

The Gunners are pretty stacked when it comes to attacking midfield players anyway. If Mahrez were to come in, he’d be vying with Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for a spot on the flanks, meaning opportunities in the first XI would be hugely difficult to come by.

So for the time being, it’d be a massive surprise if he were to leave the King Power Stadium, and Leicester remains an ideal club for the Algerian international to develop. But if he continues to preserve the exceptional levels we’ve seen so far, then Arsenal won’t be the only top team who come chasing his signature.

Arsenal Turn to Edinson Cavani

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Arsenal are reportedly ready to turn to Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani as they look to pep up their centre-forward options.

That’s according to Fichajes.net (h/t Louis Sealey of Metro), who claim that the Gunners are set to move for the Uruguay international on the final day of the transfer window. The piece claims that Wenger is concerned about his side’s profligacy in front of goal early in the season and is still keen to get a striker in.

Cavani would definitely be an interesting addition. Here’s a look at the kind of qualities he would bring to this Arsenal side:

To acquire a player of Cavani’s quality so late in the window would be a massive boost to everyone at the Emirates. The PSG man is a proper No. 9 who would provide a completely new dynamic at the point of the attack for the Gunners. Cavani is a willing worker, an adept target man, and a forward who will stretch defences both vertically and laterally.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

In addition, and perhaps most importantly for the Gunners, he’s a proper poacher, too, bagging 18 Ligue 1 goals from 30 starts in 2014-15, per WhoScored.com. ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney thinks the Gunners do need an injection of class in this area of the pitch:

Cavani will be extremely difficult to prise away from PSG, though. Although he is often deployed on the flanks instead of his preferred centre-forward role, the 28-year-old is a key part of manager Laurent Blanc’s plans, with his aforementioned qualities facilitating space for players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Javier Pastore and now Angel Di Maria, too.

The Gunners have done some exceptional business on the final day of the window before, and you can bet Wenger will be in the market to bolster his squad again. But Cavani is a transfer who looks beyond Arsenal at this juncture.