Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Simone Zaza and Riccardo Montolivo Rumours

Arsenal could turn to Juventus’ Simone Zaza in January to add some overdue depth to their centre-forward options.

That’s according to Fichajes (h/t Metro), which claimed the Italian champions are willing to let Zaza leave the club midseason despite only signing the forward in the most recent transfer window. Zaza has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium previously, with Sky Italia (h/t Michael Butler of the Guardian) claiming the Gunners made a £22 million bid on transfer deadline day.

Here’s a closer examination of the qualities the effervescent striker would add to the point of the Arsenal attack:

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger received plenty of criticism for not adding to his striker options this summer, especially with Danny Welbeck set to miss a large part of the season. It leaves Olivier Giroud as the only recognised orthodox centre-forward in the squad.

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Metro blogger Oli Price-Bates thinks the current striker situation at the Emirates is calamitous—and could be even worse if injuries take their toll on the squad:

Zaza, or a player of his ilk, seems like a necessary addition in that case. The Italy international arrived in Turin with an exciting reputation on the back of an excellent spell with Sassuolo, but with Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata also vying for a spot in the team, opportunities will be scarce for the 24-year-old.

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Zaza would certainly add something different to Arsenal’s attacking assaults, but it’s clear he still has some rough edges that need smoothing down, per WhoScored.com:

But that might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Gunners. So often their play is a little too meticulous, which can occasionally render them one-dimensional. Zaza has the vibrancy, skill and ingenuity to potentially change that. If he continues to find himself well down the pecking order in Turin, he would surely be keen on a move to north London.

Arsenal to Bid for Riccardo Montolivo

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According to “reports in Italy” cited by Sky Sports, both Arsenal and Liverpool will move for AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo in the January window.

The piece noted the player’s agent, Giovanni Branchini, claimed there were offers for the Italy international this summer, but the Rossoneri were adamant that he would not be sold. Here’s a look at why the midfielder is so key to their cause:

Montolivo adheres to the Arsenal blueprint. His cerebral, in-game instincts give him time on the ball, and once the 30-year-old gets his head up to play a pass, the opposition are in big trouble. Or at least that’s the kind of player he used to be.

The Italy man has had some terrible luck with injuries as of late, and they have hampered his performance levels. He missed the 2014 World Cup and the start of the 2014-15 season with a broken leg before a string of muscular injuries prevented a full recuperation process ever really taking place. Needless to say, his form nosedived as a result.

As noted by football analyst Jack Rathborn, this season is a big one for the player:

So with stability and consistency key, a transfer wouldn’t be ideal. New Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic is still striving for a formula to get the Rossoneri roaring again, and at his best, Montolivo is capable of fulfilling some important duties in the team. However, we’ve not seen these kinds of levels from the playmaker for a while.

Wenger, who is cautious when it comes to transfers, doesn’t look likely to go near a midfielder such as Montolivo. A change of scenery may prompt something in the Azzurri star, but given his age, perennial injury problems and the fact he’s an intricate midfielder—players the Gunners already have in excess—it’d be a major surprise if there was much credence to this rumour.