Arsenal FC: Is Arsene Wenger Making Panic Transfers?

Arsene Wenger hasn't been able to get himself out of the media spotlight since the end of last season. With a very close chance of ending a trophy drought last season, Arsenal once again came out with no silverware.

Going into the new campaign, Arsenal faithful had some serious doubts over the depth and talent of their squad.

Knowing that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were on their way out, Wenger didn't appear to be doing much to bring in some replacements.

After only managing one point out of three English Premier League matches, and an embarrassing 8-2 loss to Manchester United, Wenger now appears to be ready to spend some money.

According to Sky Sports, German international Per Mertesacker has passed a medical and has agreed to personal terms with Arsenal FC. Wenger has been after the German centre-back for some time now and, if all goes well, Arsenal may have found themselves a new partner in the centre of defense for Thomas Vermaelen.

Earlier this morning, Arsenal also confirmed the signing of former Monaco star Park Chu-Young, as reported by Mirror Football. The South Korean international will bring some creativity to an Arsenal squad that appears to be lacking in that department.

Many fans have raised some concerns in regards to this transfer, questioning if Young is a Premier-League-caliber player. If Young can follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Park Ji-Sung, Arsenal can be confident in this signing.

Meanwhile, The Sun reports that Brazilian international Andre Santos appears to be a few details away from also being a new Arsenal signing. The 28-year-old left-back could be arriving from a Fenerbahce team in some serious problems in the Turkish League.

With Armand Traore signing for Queens Park Rangers, Kieran Gibbs now could have some competition for the starting role.  

Could these last-minute transfers be panic purchases? What took Wenger so long to even make an effort in the transfer market?

It's very sad to say, but it appears that if Arsenal were not to get kicked all over the Old Trafford pitch, Wenger may not have made any moves.

I have been listening to the latest in the transfer window all day, and seeing all these players linked with a move to the Emirates has somewhat given me a glimpse of hope again, although it will take a significant amount of time to forget this past weekend's match.  

Arsenal have been linked with moves for Fulham's American midfielder Clint Dempsey, Fiorentina's Juan Vargas as well as the ongoing saga with Bolton for Gary Cahill. Some rumors say that the Cahill deal is dead, however.

With the transfer window closing in about 26 hours, who else is Arsenal going to bring to the Emirates?

Will these new signings make an immediate effect, or will they take some time to settle into the fast-paced EPL?