January Transfer Rumours: 6 Potential Targets for Arsene Wenger

Things are looking a little brighter for the Gunners than they did at the beginning of the season, as Arsenal picked up their third consecutive win this weekend over Stoke City and their second consecutive league win.

But with nasty long-term injuries still dragging down the first team, a couple of under-performing starters and some holes in the team's skill set, Arsene Wenger will still likely be looking to make some key buys come January.

Here are six players who have been linked with January bids to come to the Emirates. If you have thoughts about whether or not you'd like to see these prospects at Arsenal, as always, have at it in the comments section. 

Xherdan Shaqiri

The 20-year-old FC Basel winger has been linked to half the Premiership at this point, with Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal popping up as potential candidates, along with AC Milan, Juventus and most recently and perhaps notably, Hamburg, who have reportedly emerged as the front-runners, according to metro.co.uk.

Shaqiri has impressed over the past two seasons with Basel and the Swiss national team, playing a role in the club's back-to-back Swiss Super League titles and more recently, scoring four goals for his national team in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. 

He would likely be more available and affordable (£15 million) than other hot-commodity wingers like Eden Hazard and would help bring dynamism, speed and creativity to the Gunners' midfield. Forward-thinking, gifted with dribbling and possessing finishing capability, Shaqiri's performances have drawn comparisons to the likes of Lionel Messi.

If the Gunners can beat Hamburg to Shaqiri, he would certainly be an asset to Arsene Wenger's squad.

Hugo Rodallega

The Colombian international has been on Arsenal's radar before, with the Gunners being linked to very close bid attempts for Hugo Rodallega, a solid striker who scored the goal to save Wigan from relegation last season, two summers in a row.

And now, with Arsenal looking to solidify their attack and potentially add another striker to the roster, it looks as though Arsene Wenger will try once again as Rodallega's contract expires at the end of the season and with Wigan in a bottom-tier quagmire, he's expected to make a move. 

With Liverpool possessing a larger roster in terms of forward power with Luis Suárez, Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt in the rotation as opposed to Marouane Chamakh and Robin van Persie as the only real options at this juncture, Arsenal will likely emerge as the frontrunner of the two. 

Hulk

A rather surprising name in the mix as of late is Porto striker Givanildo Vieira de Souza, better known by his superhero-evoking nickname, Hulk. The stocky, strong goal-scorer lived up to his nickname last season and was instrumental in bringing Porto a domestic double and a Europa League title and so far, his form looks promising this season as well.

A host of clubs are seeking to win Hulk over in January, among them Inter Milan, Málaga and according to Hulk's agent in a report from earlier this month, Arsenal. Hulk's agent, Teodoro Fonseca, was unaware of the rumors of Arsene Wenger preparing a £23 million January bid for the striker, but mentioned the club had expressed interest.

With Theo Walcott underperforming as of late, Hulk could potentially emerge as a candidate to work alongside Robin van Persie and help ramp up Arsenal's goal-scoring capabilities. 

Yann M'Vila and Marvin Martin

It's the Arsenal way: when in doubt, go for the French wünderkinds. And that's just what Arsene Wenger is rumored to be doing as the club as they covet two of Ligue 1's top-rated rising stars: Rennes defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila and Sochaux midfielder Marvin Martin. 

Both M'Vila, 21, and Martin, 23, have been praised across the footballing world for their strength and raw skill. Although both players are signed to their respective clubs until 2015, as we know, anything can happen as the transfer window opens and sufficient amounts of cash are made available. 

A brilliant holding midfielder who has been on the Gunners' radar before (although they dropped their summer pursuit in favor of promoting Francis Coquelin to the first team), M'Vila will be a bigger priority for Wenger in January most likely, as the playmaker will be just what Arsenal is looking for to take the place of Jack Wilshere, who is still out with a long-term injury. 

Martin is less likely to come to the Emirates after the New Year, as he just recently renewed his contract with Les Lionceaux, although he will reportedly be able to leave on a buyout clause over the summer, although expect that to come with quite the price tag. 

As Martin was quoted in an ESPN report:

""I've started the season with Sochaux, and I'll finish it with Sochaux as well. I have absolutely no desire to leave the side like that in the middle of the season.""

Eden Hazard

Just because you hadn't heard his name enough in rumor roundups like these.

Although Chelsea was recently named the rumored frontrunner for the top-rated Belgian playmaker OSC Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme, the Gunners are still in the running. The 20-year-old winger has topped a swath of lists discussing the hottest January prospects as his talent, creativity and speed have the big clubs salivating.

Lille too seem to have accepted that Hazard will leave the club, although certainly more likely over the summer than in January. Nevertheless, the Gunners join Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Inter Milan and potentially Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Great Hazard Chase. And Hazard will certainly come with a hefty price tag, now at a reported £40 million—raising questions about which clubs will be willing to foot the bill.

And although Arsenal is on the upswing, injury woes and some under-performing key players continue to dog Arsene Wenger's side, potentially leading to less appeal on the part of Hazard.

But whether or not he seems like a frontrunner to head to the Emirates now, Eden Hazard is certainly a name we'll be hearing nonstop right up until the final hours of January deadline day. And probably after that.