1 Player Arsenal Should Be Looking at for 2016 January Transfer Window

Although the transfer window is closed for now, it won’t be long before speculation about January business begins in earnest. Arsenal fans will be particularly keen to see their club in action, having been the only Premier League club not to sign a single outfield player during the window.

At this early stage, the name of Sebastien Haller deserves to be thrown in to the ring. He may not be a household name, but he has many of the hallmarks of a classic Arsene Wenger signing.

For a start, he’s French. Haller is a product of the same Auxerre academy that produced Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Yaya Sanogo. He’s also young: At 21, Haller would be a signing for the future more so than the present.

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Like Sanogo, he is a striker. He stands over 6'0" with broad shoulders and a powerful frame. He has the strength to withstand the inevitable buffeting from Premier League centre-halves, but also the speed to get away from them if required. His movement is good: Haller has a handy habit of making curved runs in behind the back four, and when he arrives in front of goal he is technically accomplished. His composure is particularly evident in his Mario Balotelli-esque penalty-taking technique.

Haller came to attention last season when a loan spell with FC Utrecht saw him score an impressive 11 goals in 17 Eredivisie games. Although Utrecht unsurprisingly took up their option to make the transfer permanent, he was now firmly on the radar of clubs in Europe’s major leagues.

During the summer transfer window, reports in French newspaper L’Equipe (h/t Metro) suggested that Sunderland were eyeing him as a potential replacement for Connor Wickham:

"Sunderland are reportedly readying a transfer offer for Utrecht’s Sebastien Haller.

"The France under-21 forward is being eyed as the potential addition to the Black Cats’ attacking options by boss Dick Advocaat, according to reports in France."

The same article claimed that Championship side Brentford had already made a £4.2 million bid to sign the 21-year-old striker.

The likelihood is that Haller could cost significantly more now—and that he has attracted the interest of much bigger clubs.

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Anyone wondering if he was merely a half-season wonder will have been impressed by his start to 2015/16. According to eurorivals.net, he is currently third in the rankings for the European Golden Shoe award, with seven goals to his name already this season. 

Haller has represented France at every level from U-16 to U-21, with an excellent record of five goals from six U-21 caps to boot. If he continues his superb domestic form, it surely won’t be long before he’s knocking on the door of the senior squad. He’ll certainly have plenty of motivation: a couple of injuries and a high profile transfer could even make him an outside bet for Euro 2016.

Many are hoping that Wenger will add a superstar striker in January. That may well prove to be the case, but he remains a manager obsessed with identifying and developing young talent. The prodigiously-gifted Haller could well be Wenger’s next big project.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.