Arsenal Transfer News: 5 January Targets to Secure Champions League Football

After an extremely disappointing start to the season for Arsenal, much has been speculated about what Arsene Wenger is going to do in January when the transfer window reopens.

The hope among most supporters is that regardless of where the Gunners sit in the table, that Arsene Wenger will do his very best to strengthen the squad and give us a shot at securing Champions League football for next season. 

With the win Sunday against Sunderland, Arsenal are barely in the top half of table with 10 points. With 30 games still to play, much can improve from now until the end of the season.

A lot of Arsenal's success will depend on keeping the current crop of players healthy as well by bringing back several key players back from injury like Thomas Vermaelen, and Jack Wilshere. If Arsenal can start to put some positive results together, who knows what can happen and where Arsenal will be come May. 

One thing is for sure, that Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen where he can in the side come January. Strengthening of the team would see that Arsenal are strong and healthy as well as deep at all positions, something that has been lacking in recent years.

Obviously, there are many targets who could come in and more often than not, Wenger brings in someone we haven't ever heard of.

But this list is five potential players Arsene Wenger could bring in come January that would drastically improve the side and give Arsenal a real shot at the top 4. 

5. Bring in Quality Defenders

I put this down at No. 5 because knowing Wenger, he will avoid the areas Arsenal need the most help in. Frankly I don't care who he brings in, but it needs to be someone better than Djourou and Squillaci. Not very hard to do that. 

When I say defenders, I mean both a Centre-Back as well as a fullback. A few possibilities include Gary Cahill as well Belgium International Jan Vertonghen to fill the need at Centre-Back. 

With the injury to Bacary Sagna, who knows how long he will really be out. The physio says three months, but I've followed Arsenal long enough to know that could mean the entire season. I'm not ready to put my trust in little Carl Jenkinson as that position. Getting rid of Eboue was not the best thing to do now was it?

Besides the right-back spot, left-back is something I'm still concerned about. Clichy never did anything for me and frankly since Ashley Cole left, that position hasn't been nearly as good.

Kieran Gibbs has potential, but is out injured way too often to adequately progress. Andre Santos looks decent going forward, but seems to be caught out of position in defense.

Someone like the Argentine Cristian Ansaldi who is plying his trade at Rubin Kazan, or even someone like Aly Sissoko from Lyon. Either one of those two would be a tremendous upgrade over the current two we have at left-back. 

4. Yann M'Vila

Yann M'Vila is someone who has been on Wenger's radar for a long time. This one is a tough call to make in terms of whether or not Wenger will bring him into the side.

We already have Alex Song, and Jack Wilshere has typically played in the deep holding role next to Song. Not to mention the young players coming through the club at that position. Both Emmanuel Frimpong as well as Francis Coquelin have shown promise and if another player were to come in, it would further limit their chances to play.

However, if we really look at what's best for the club, depth is key at this position. Song can't play every game and what would happen if he were to be injured long-term?

M'Vila would bring much more steel and grit to this Arsenal side. Even if the trio of Wilshere, Song, and M'Vila were all healthy, I could see the three coexisting in the same midfield. 

M'Vila will not stay at Rennes for much longer and Arsenal seems like the front runner at this point to grab him. 

3. Loic Remy

Another area where Arsenal could really use some strengthening is at Striker. Outside of RVP, there is not another striker I am confident in to carry the club and score goals.

Loic Remy, of Marseille, would be a great addition and would fit the Wenger mold perfectly. He is young, french, extremely skilled technically, and seems to have a great future ahead of him. Having someone to take the load off of Van Persie will be critical at times throughout the season and goals will have to come from someone else. 

He probably won't come cheaply, but Remy would be a great addition to the club. His presence would allow Wenger to rotate his squad a little more freely, instead of having to rely on the ineptitude in front of goal of Marouane Chamakh. 

I have spoken with other supporters who feel RVP would be better in the old Bergkamp role right behind a striker. With someone like Remy who is extremely quick and a good finisher, Arsenal might be able to create a new partnership between the two like the one Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp had. 

2. Mario Gotze

Since the departure of Cesc Fabregas, I have really been craving more from this Arsenal midifield.

Aaron Ramsey isn't there yet, Yossi Benayoun adds depth but isn't amazing, and Mikel Arteta while talented isn't anywhere close to Fabregas' vision and ability to make Arsenal tick.

In order for Arsenal to really return to glory in the near future, Arsenal need to bring in someone of tremendous creative quality in Midfield. Yann M'Vila would be a great addition like I said earlier, but he is not an attacking player. Someone would I really hope Arsenal go after this January is German sensation, Mario Gotze. 

Gotze is someone who could be incredible in the future. Given that he is only 19, he still can improve and grow and imagine the development he would see under Arsene Wenger. His quality would immensely help this Arsenal side and he could slip into the Fabregas role and dictate the tempo and passing game the Gunners like to play. 

This player will not come cheap, but I'm starting to believe that Wenger sees that he will have to spend money on world-class players in order to bring the side into contention for trophy's.

Given that he is already a fixture in the German International setup, and a star for his club Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal would have to spend at least 30 million pounds to get Gotze, probably more. But I feel like his quality and lofty potential as well as the long career he has ahead of him, would warrant every bit of money spent. 

1. Eden Hazard

It's hard to say that we really need another winger, given that we already have Gervinho, Walcott, and Arshavin as well as the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, in all my years of following Arsenal, no one has caught my eye in terms of potential moves to Arsenal quite like Eden Hazard. The young Belgian Winger is an incredible prospect, and someone Arsene Wenger has been keeping his eye on for years. His quality is obvious and I would see him immediately walking into the starting 11 and either of the wing's. 

Hazard is very quick, but his skill on the ball is what truly amazes. He looks like a mix of Cristiano Ronaldo's tricks and Lionel Messi pacey runs. If Arsenal can't get him quickly, the big spenders will come in and inflate the price and put Hazard out of Arsenal's reach. 

It has been quoted in the last few days that Wenger would do "anything possible" to secure Hazard in the transfer market. He is someone who would excite Arsenal fans as well as silence some of Wenger's critics who say he doesn't spend the big money on big players. 

Anything short of 30 million is unrealistic to grab a player like Hazard, but I have a feeling Lille are willing and ready to listen to offers come January, especially after Lillle most likely is knocked out of the Champions League. It's my opinion that if Arsenal don't grab him in January and wait until the summer, a bidding war will take place and the Gunners will eventually lose out on Hazard.