Arsenal Transfer News: Simone Zaza and Zlatan Ibrahimovic Rumours Emerge

Arsenal fans will be pained to hear a bitterly disappointing summer transfer window could have been vastly improved after learning how close the club may have been to signing Simone Zaza and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Gianluca Di Marzio reported the Gunners made a deadline-day approach for Juventus striker Zaza, but they opted out of the deal after being quoted a price of £22 million, per Metro's Will Giles.

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Similarly, Paris Saint-Germain were allegedly open to parting ways with Ibrahimovic "for the right price," according to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, after Arsene Wenger made the trip to Paris.

In the end, though, Arsenal ended the transfer window as the only club in Europe's top five leagues not to sign an outfield player, no matter how desperately the BBC's Ravin Sampat disagreed with the lack of business:

Bhardwaj added that PSG were more open to the idea of losing Ibrahimovic—who turns 34 in October—rather than Edinson Cavani, who was cited in the report as another target for Arsenal manager Wenger.

The £22 million Zaza price tag seems steep, but Giles mentioned the inflation being due to the fact Juve manager Massmiliano Allegri would not have been able to secure a replacement forward. 

To rub added salt in Arsenal's wound, the 24-year-old appeared to be available on loan, too, after Di Marzio's translator David Amoyal suggested a temporary move to West Ham United was close:

Juventus exercised their option to re-sign Zaza for a fee of €18 million (£13.3 million) earlier this summer, two years after he moved to Turin only to enter a co-ownership deal with Sassuolo.

The Italy attacker's reputation was enhanced with a haul of 11 goals in 31 appearances last season, with Serie A writer Omid Zamani detailing his fondness of the player:

Meanwhile, the transfer deadline came and passed at the Emirates Stadium, with Petr Cech the only major signing for a club many thought might challenge for this season's Premier League title.

To do that, though, it seems Wenger will need more than Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck to lead his front line as he looks to keep the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott in their wing roles.

Player	Games	Goals
Olivier Giroud	36	19
Alexis Sanchez	52	25
Danny Welbeck	34	8
Theo Walcott	21	7

Despite his age, Ibrahimovic could have brought some welcome pedigree to north London after scoring 75 goals in 91 games for PSG, winning the Ligue 1 title in each of his three seasons at the club.

Uruguay international Cavani may hold more long-term potential at the Parc des Princes, but Ibrahimovic showed in the recent 3-0 win over Monaco that he's still the leading man at PSG, per OptaJean:

Many at Arsenal will feel any sort of reinforcement may have been better than none at all, and the club now risk falling short in resources if a string of injuries were to affect the first-team ranks.

Wenger may have been working to clinch some last-minute summer deals, but a lack of market initiative has left the club in a potentially embarrassing situation.