Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Victor Wanyama, Riechedly Bazoer Rumours

Arsenal are being linked with moves for two midfielders, with both Southampton's Victor Wanyama and Ajax's Riechedly Bazoer making an appearance in Sunday's rumour columns.

The Daily Mirror's James Whaling cites a report from Kenya's Standard Digital News, claiming Gunners manager Arsene Wenger will once again try to move for Wanyama this summer, and he wants the Saints star to replace the departing Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta.

Wanyama has been a key cog in Southampton's midfield since 2013, covering the defence with his physical style of play. This season, the 24-year-old has already started 22 Premier League matches, per WhoScored.com.

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Per Whaling, he's been frequently linked with the Gunners, but those links have lessened with the emergence of Francis Coquelin, who has given Arsenal the midfield enforcer they so desperately needed.

The Frenchman emerged out of nowhere to become a starter at the Emirates and immediately endeared himself to the fans for his no-nonsense style of play and a complete disregard for his opponents. Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror couldn't help himself while watching the Gunners play Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League:

Coquelin has struggled with his fitness in 2015-16, and ideally, Wenger would prefer to have a similar player on the bench to provide depth. Wanyama could be that player, but the Kenyan won't be leaving St Mary's to become a backup.

Rotating the two could be an option, but Wenger already has a strong midfielder to fill the position―he's unlikely to invest significantly in a second before spending the money elsewhere.

Don't expect the links with Wanyama to die down, but unless the midfielder is willing to accept a smaller role at the Emirates, don't expect him to join the club during the summer, either.

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Meanwhile, Neil Moxley of the Sunday People claims Wenger wants Arsenal scouts to be present for almost every match Bazoer plays. Ajax's teenage starlet is being linked with a move to the Premier League almost on a daily basis.

The Daily Mirror's Darren Lewis kicked things off by claiming Chelsea are already talking to Ajax about a £24 million move and that Bazoer's agent has visited west London, and since then, seemingly every top club in Europe has been thrown into the mix.

Tuttosport (h/t talkSPORT, via Metro's Tom Olver) claims Arsenal, Barcelona, AC Milan and Liverpool are also watching the Netherlands international, and Moxley adds Juventus, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund to the mix.

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Lewis also claimed future Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to “hijack” Chelsea's move for Bazoer, just for good measure. Meanwhile, the player himself maintains he has no intention of leaving Ajax this summer to begin with, per De Telegraaf (h/t Football-Oranje.com's Michael Bell):

"

I am very happy at Ajax.

I am developing well here, the coach believes in me and I have a contract with the club until 2020. I am not thinking about other clubs yet.

I am proud to have become an undisputed starter at Ajax, but I am going through a difficult period at the moment to be honest.

I am working really hard in training in order to reach the level from the first half of the season again. I am not saying I have been in bad form, but I always demand more from myself.

"

Bazoer is a special talent who is being compared with Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira for all the right reasons, but he's also just 19 years old and in need of a lot more seasoning.

He's playing regular minutes for Ajax, a club renowned for cultivating young talent, and leaving the Dutch side before he's ready would be about the worst thing Bazoer could do right now.

Perhaps he's already good enough to contribute for a top club―his highlights suggest he might be:

But staying in the Netherlands for the time being would be a far smarter move for Bazoer, and it's exactly what he's expected to do. Transfer chatter isn't likely to die down in the coming weeks, but unless Bazoer has a major change of heart, he won't be going anywhere.

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