A collection of realistic additions that could help bring an end to a lengthy lean spell at the Emirates Stadium.
Pepe Reina (Liverpool)
At points last term it did look as though Polish international Wojciech Szczesny was one Arsene Wenger could look to for the long haul but displays from the 22 year old this season have at times been naive and below par, this has led to speculation that the Arsenal boss could be looking to bring in an experienced custodian, with that in mind a move for Liverpool’s Pepe Reina would be an ideal one to consider.
The Spaniard has been a consistent performer at Anfield for the best part of eight years but he may feel that any ambitions he has will not be realised at the Merseyside club.
Whilst Brendan Rodgers may be a very suitable man to have at the Liverpool helm his side are still some way off the top four chase and at Reina’s age, he turns 31 this year, the former Barcelona man may be tempted by a move to the North London club, provided Champions League football is on offer.
Reina could act as an excellent stop gap solution, given Szcz?sny a real battle for the starting spot and give the talented youngster time and room to grow and in theory making him a better prospect for the long term.
Arsenal may have to work quickly though as there is a chance that a move back to the Nou Camp could be on the horizon given that Victor Valdes has refused to pen a new Barcelona deal.
Chieck Tiote (Newcastle United)
Arsenal desperately lack an ‘enforcer’ and could certainly do with a tough tackling presence at the centre of the park and whilst the North London club have been linked with West Ham’s Mohamed Diame a move for Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote would be a more suitable move to consider.
For a good 18 months the Ivory Coast international was a near unplayable opponent, his form helping the Magpies to a top five finish last term. There is every chance Tiote would be willing to use Newcastle United as a stepping stone, much as Demba Ba did, and a move to Arsenal could well tempt the former FC Twente man.
Tiote could fill the void left by Alex Song’s move to Barcelona and a move may be all the more likely if Abou Diaby can not manage to string a run of games together with the Frenchman all to often being sidelined with injury or simply not playing to his full potential.
Given that Newcastle United have splashed out on six new signings over January Mike Ashley could be ready to listen to good offers for a player who cost a bargain £3.5m in August 2010.
Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina)
Arsenal could well do with a supporting striker, a player who can play behind a front-man such as Olivier Giroud and Montenegrin Steven Jovetic ticks all the boxes one would expect with an Arsene Wenger target.
He may well have outgrown a Fiorentina side that are unlikely to be able to secure a Champions League berth, he’s comfortable on the ball, and at 23 is the right age for Wenger to consider a move.
Fiorentina may well have made plans for just such an exit having signed Giuseppe Rossi from Villarreal in January, a move that could leave the Serie A side open to a decent price bid for Jovetic.
The former Partizan Belgrade player netted 14 goals in 27 Serie A starts last term and has scored another eight already this season.
Mamadou Sakho (PSG)
22 year old French international Sakho has long been linked with a move to Arsenal and perhaps the summer represents the right time for Arsene Wenger to make a good offer for the PSG man.
The adaptable defender, who can play at both centre-back and at left-back, could well help solidify a back-line that has looked fairly shaky this season. Last term the youngster started just half of PSG’s Ligue 1 fixtures but has battled for a more prominent role, having to fight for a place with the likes of Thiago Silva and Alex being players Carlo Ancelotti appears to favour.
The one club man also saw his captaincy stripped away and handed to Silva and could perhaps then be open to a move away from the Parc des Princes.
A move to Arsenal could perhaps be all the more likely if Ancelotti manages to achieve tangible success without Sakho being a nailed on regular, and especially so if the former Chelsea manager continues to buy players with alarming regularity.
Thomas Vermaelen hasn’t looked as comfortable this season as he has in previous seasons, some suggesting that the weight of being the club’s skipper hasn’t helped. Laurent Koscielny has been playing a supporting role as giant German Per Mertesacker has by some distance been the most consistent defender in Arsene Wenger’s armoury. With Johan Djourou and Sebsastien Squillaci likely to leave there is certainly room to bring in a player of Sakho’s age and potential.
David Villa (Barcelona)
David Villa would be something of a short-term fix but the 31 year old is clearly of a level of quality that is leading Arsene Wenger to consider a move to sign the striker despite his age.
The 31 year old is certainly surplus to requirements but Barcelona were unwilling to sell the Spanish international as they didn’t have a replacement on their radar. By the summer the striker will have just a year to run on his contract and that means the Catalan club would be more pressed to sell, and perhaps even for a lesser fee than last month.
Wenger would hope that the experienced forward could help teach his younger squad members a thing or two and there is no doubting that Villa can still make things happen at the highest level, having scored ten goals already this term despite making just 12 starts.
Arsene Wenger has in the past seen the benefits of bringing in and older head to help balance out the youthful element to his squad, the likes of David Platt and Davor Suker being two examples from the distant past.