Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Who Should Gunners Splash Fabregas Cash On?

Arsenal are on the verge of selling off superstar midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and if Arsene Wenger has a sane bone in his body, he'll use the big cash to splash and get the defensive help his team is in dire need of. 

The Gunners have been fighting to keep Fabregas all summer long, as Barcelona's annual campaign to bring their prodigal prodigy back to the Nou Camp has ramped up to new heights. 

In fact, a report from The Guardian indicates that a deal is likely to be completed in time for the 24-year-old midfielder to be presented to fans on Monday, bringing the three-year transfer battle to a much-anticipated conclusion.

The deal will cost the Catalan juggernauts £35 million, plus incentives to ramp the potential total up closer to £40 million overall, assuming Fabregas maintains his current levels of production. 

Now, with his coffers flushed with cash, who will the always-frugal Wenger spend it on? 

The obvious answer remains the defense. Anyone who has watched the Gunners flounder in the preseason (and last season down the stretch) can see how dire the situation was on the back line for Wenger's club. 

But who should they grab? All of their top targets, including Per Mertesacker at  £6 million, Scott Dann at  £6.5 million, Chris Samba at £12 million and Gary Cahill at  £17.5 million are within the range of funds the Gunners will get from the Fabregas sale. Of that bunch, the 26-year-old Mertesacker and the 25-year-old Cahill remain the best options to strengthen the defense. 

They would provide the defense with the interior presence and the skill in the air Arsenal have lacked in a big way in recent seasons. Both Cahill and Mertesacker are big defenders capable of wreaking havoc on opposing offenses with their tackling, ball-handling and passing, while also giving Arsenal the solid spine they need. 

But we also know the Gunners are in the market for a midfielder to replace Fabregas; in fact, reports indicate that Arsenal had a £12 million bid rejected for Shaktar Donetsk star Jadson as recently as yesterday. 

While Jadson's skills would undoubtedly appeal to the Gooner faithful, at 27, he's a bit old for Wenger's young roster. He's technically gifted, but isn't the kind of sublime talent that the Gunners are hoping to find in the middle. 

That's where Juan Mata comes in. The 23-year-old Valencia starlet has been the name on the lips of Arsenal fans all summer as a potential replacement for Fabregas. Dynamic, versatile and supremely talented, Mata's skills would be a perfect fit at the Emirates in Wenger's offense. 

Valued at £20 million, the Spanish midfielder is a high-priced option in the middle, but his skills make him worth every cent. His upside is tremendous, and his versatility would allow Wenger to play with his roster week in and week out, tweaking it to fit the club's needs. With Fabregas' cash in their pockets, Wenger could get Mata without handicapping himself in his hunt for defensive help.

Frankly, if Fabregas leaves Arsenal, the pressure is going to come down hard on the French manager to splash big cash to make up for his departure.

The Gunners need help on defense, and even if they don't chase any of that quartet, they have to find someone who can stabilize a line that has looked incredibly shaky in recent months.

Midfield won't be as pressing of a need with the young talent already at the Emirates, but grabbing someone like Juan Mata would be a fantastic way to allay fans' fears of a massive regression in the coming season. 

No matter who they spend on, the fact is that the pressure is on Wenger to actually spend this summer. The Gunners are going to get a massive influx of cash for him to play with, and if he wants to tangibly improve the club he'll have to splash for some higher-priced talent. 

The only question is, who will it be?