Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Michy Batshuayi, Benedikt Howedes Rumours

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a transfer offer for Olympique Marseille youngster Michy Batshuayi, the 22-year-old who has started the Ligue 1 season on fire.

That's according to Mercato 365 (h/t talkSPORT), who believe manager Arsene Wenger would be willing to spend up to £22 million on the talented striker in January.

Batshuayi moved to Marseille from Belgian side Standard in 2014 and has started the new campaign in strong form, scoring six goals and providing two more assists in nine Ligue 1 matches, per WhoScored.com. Despite his solid form, he wasn't selected for the Belgian national team in their last two qualifiers, as he was passed over for Gent's Laurent Depoitre.

That decision didn't sit well with fans and pundits, who noted that of Belgium's top strikers abroad, Batshuayi is currently in the best form. Belgian football expert John Chapman was one of them:

One of the reasons Batshuayi was likely passed over is the fact he plays in the French Ligue 1, a competition that is regarded as inferior to the Premier League, where his top competitors―Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Divock Origi―play. If his strong form continues, he could decide to increase his chances of playing for the national team by joining his compatriots in England.

He's already made his international debut, replacing Benteke against Cyprus and scoring after just a handful of minutes. The goal should have marked his grand arrival on the international stage, but so far, things haven't worked out that way.

He just turned 22 years old, and according to OutsideoftheBoot.com, he ranks among the top talents at the striker position in all of Europe:

The site ranks him at the very top of their list, ahead of Anthony Martial, who did far less in Ligue 1 before moving to Manchester United, where he has since become a big hit.

Batshuayi is a strong forward capable of playing with his back toward the goal and holding up the ball for his team-mates, but he's also remarkably quick and a gifted dribbler. He's at his best when he has space to run into, but he can more than hold his own inside the box and in the air.

Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

As with every young forward coming to the Premier League from a foreign competition, there's always the question how his success will translate to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. But given the success his compatriots have found in England, often using a similar style, Batshuayi seems like a safe bet to find his feet before long.

Whether Wenger will actually move for the Belgian remains up in the air, but if the Gunners are looking for a young, talented forward who figures to contribute early and has the potential to be a star, Batshuayi would be a relatively safe and cost-efficient investment. He even has the versatility to slide out wide, thanks to his pace, so a January move would not be a bad idea.

Benedikt Howedes Drops Liverpool Hint

SASCHA SCHUERMANN/Getty Images

Schalke 04 star Benedikt Howedes, who revealed he turned down a move to Arsenal in June in favour of an extended stay in the Bundesliga, has now told Bild (h/t Goal's Tom Davis) he would be open to a move to England, while praising new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

He said:

"

A move abroad excites me. England would for sure be an interesting destination. Currently I am with Schalke. There are no deals sorted. But of course, for a footballer there are some clubs that are more interesting than others.

English football is very fortunate to have someone like Klopp in the league, Liverpool is a club with great tradition and values.

"

As reported by Davis, the 2014 World Cup winner had the chance to move to Arsenal or AC Milan during the summer but elected to stay with his boyhood club. Klopp's arrival at Anfield seems to have changed his tune, however.

Howedes has been one of Germany's most consistent centre-backs for the last couple of years, excelling as a classic ball-winner and a passer from the defence, and according to Die Welt (h/t Daily Star's Alex Harris), his current contract, set to expire in 2017, contains a manageable £13 million release clause.

The 27-year-old is an excellent player who comes with one major red flag: injuries. Transfermarkt.co.uk counted as many as many as eight separate injuries that kept him sidelined during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns.

When healthy, like he was during the 2014 World Cup, he's a superb defender, but his injury history reads like something of a nightmare. It would be up to Wenger―or Klopp―to decide whether the potential headaches that come with Howedes would be worth the minimal transfer fee.

Howedes is an experienced, smart player with the versatility to play as a full-back and the body of a typical centre-back. Even with his injuries, he would present a solid investment given the minor investment it would require to bring him to England. Liverpool appear to be in the driver's seat, based on his comments, but if Arsenal are still interested, they shouldn't hesitate to approach the German once more.

Follow @ReverschPass