Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Moussa Konate and Michy Batshuayi Rumours

Reports indicate Arsenal will be looking to beef up their attack with a couple of under-the-radar striker signings in the new year, with Sion's Moussa Konate and Marseille youngster Michy Batshuayi both linked.

The Sunday People's Steve Goodman wrote the Gunners are one of several Premier League outfits chasing the Senegal international Konate, providing quotes from the player's agent Antoine Issa Kossoko, who confirmed the interest:

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Lots of English clubs are interested in Moussa –Chelsea and Arsenal scouts are keeping an eye on him – but he is not obsessed with the Premier League and will consider good offers from Germany, Spain or England.

Hannover, Mainz and Bruges were keen on him this summer, offering up to £6m. But Sion said they would not sell for less than £10m.

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That sum would be far from beyond the reach of Arsene Wenger's side considering the winter transfer window is notorious as a difficult time of the year in which to do business.

Arsenal's attack has been at the centre of some controversy in recent months after Wenger failed to bring in any major outfield signings this past summer, leaving the club short of options up front.

Danny Welbeck's injury means Olivier Giroud is the only established, natural striker at Wenger's disposal, but Theo Walcott has so far been utilised as the senior option in leading Arsenal's line.

Speaking on BT Sport following the north Londoners' Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb last week, ex-Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard outlined striker as one area in which Arsenal desperately need to strengthen:

Konate was a part of the Senegal team that made it to the quarter-finals of the London 2012 Olympics tournament, where he finished as runner-up in the scoring ranks with five goals, one of which came against Great Britain.

The 22-year-old is enjoying a fine stretch of form after notching seven goals in nine games this season. At the end of the transfer window, King FUT co-founder Adam Moustafa pondered why the young forward wasn't attracting more suitors:

Konate's future could also depend on how far Sion advance in this season's Europa League, the player having fired his side to the top of their pool last week with a brace in the 2-1 win over Rubin Kazan.

Arsenal may be seeking a more established attacker with pedigree to his name, but an up-and-coming option such as Konate may be seen as something Wenger is more likely to invest in.

David Vincent/Associated Press

Another prodigious talent alleged to be on the club's radar is Marseille's Batshuayi, who has taken the reins as his club's leading front man so far this season under new manager Michel.

The Daily Star reported a January move for the Belgium international could be on the cards, adding Les Olympiens value their starlet at somewhere "in the £22 million bracket."

Batshuayi made his debut for Belgium in March of this year and stands out as yet another promising attacker to emerge from the nation's ranks after the likes of Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku and Divock Origi.

However, Belgian football expert John Chapman has gone so far as to agree the 21-year-old sits as "the most gifted of the four," which shows the kind of massive potential he possesses:

Batshuayi scored nine goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille last season, but that tally becomes all the more impressive when one considers only six of those outings came as starts.

The youngster's prolific scoring rate has continued this season after bagging three goals in his first five appearances of the league campaign.

Former Monaco manager Wenger has never lost touch with his native Ligue 1 when it comes to doing transfer business, but one can imagine Michel will look to play hard ball over his emerging star.

Batshuayi falls under the category of promising talent, but he has already shown some ability as a starting option in one of Europe's top leagues, and it's hardly a surprise Arsenal are said to have taken notice.