Gunners boss to splash out on four key players in January.
With Arsenal enjoying a strong start to the season this year, manager Arsene Wenger is determined to ensure their lack of squad depth doesn’t count against them as the campaign goes on. Having watched his slightly tired side lose 2-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night, there may just be warning signs that the Gunners could do with more options, and with Wenger now able to enjoy more in the way of significant transfer funds at the Emirates Stadium.
After the marquee £42.4m signing of Mesut Ozil during the summer, Wenger could now look to bring in four relative bargains for a combined fee of around £55m, with a combination of youthful promise and experience being drafted into improve the Frenchman’s squad.
Martin Hinteregger (Red Bull Salzburg)
The first name on Arsene Wenger’s list is exciting young Austrian defender Martin Hinteregger of Red Bull Salzburg. The 21-year-old is rated as one of the best young prospects in Austrian football and is also being eyed up by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.
However, Arsenal are hoping to beat off the competition for his signature as they prepare a £10m bid for Hinteregger. Although relatively inexperienced, the Austrian Under-21 international has shown enough promise to convince Wenger he is worth that kind of money, and he could become a valuable addition to the Gunners’ defence this season.
With other previous defensive targets such as Adil Rami no longer available, Arsenal will now look to add Hinteregger to their backline as a decent alternative to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, with the Gunners lacking depth in that position due to the loss of form of captain Thomas Vermaelen, who himself could be on the move this winter when the transfer window re-opens.
Sami Khedira (Real Madrid)
Next on Wenger’s list is Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, who seems increasingly likely to leave the Bernabeu this January after becoming disillusioned with life in Spain. The experienced German international came close to leaving the club during the summer, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and PSG also interested in signing him, and his time at Real now looks close to an end as his relationship with the management and the club’s fans has soured.
Although a host of clubs will likely move for the 26-year-old this winter, Arsenal may be willing to offer as much as £19m to beat their rivals to this signing, as Wenger is desperate to improve on his defensive midfield options, as they seem overly-reliant on Mathieu Flamini, as evidenced by a drop in their performance without him against Dortmund.
The likes of Lars Bender have also been linked with Arsenal in recent times, but may prove too expensive, while Real will likely let Khedira leave as they seek to remove his disruptive presence and target other signings such as Chelsea star Ramires in that position. Khedira himself is also a good friend of former team-mate Mesut Ozil, and was one of several to be disappointed by his sale this summer.
Zakaria Bakkali (PSV Eindhoven)
Arsenal are also reportedly keen on snapping up one of the most exciting young talents in Europe at the moment in Zakaria Bakkali, the PSV wonderkid who has burst onto the scene this season by becoming the youngest ever scorer of a hat-trick in the Eredivisie, which has sparked serious interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City as well.
However, Arsenal’s reputation for bringing through talented youngsters may sway this move in their favour, as Bakkali will want to continue playing regular first team football to aid his development. Wenger’s reputation for improving players and nurturing them from a young age is likely to persuade this Belgian teenager that a move to the Emirates Stadium is the right one for him.
Despite only being 17, Bakkali won’t come cheap, though Arsenal have not shied away from investing serious money on youngsters in the past, and could be willing to go as high as £16m to bring the skillful winger to north London.
Demba Ba (Chelsea)
Finally, Arsenal will move again for Chelsea misfit Demba Ba as they look to add another striker to their ranks. The Gunners are currently lacking backup to the in-form Olivier Giroud, and tried to bring Ba in on loan on deadline day in the summer, only for Jose Mourinho to block the move.
However, with Arsene Wenger now willing to pay up to bring the former Newcastle man to the club on a permanent basis, it seems likely that around £10m could be enough to persuade Chelsea to sell their backup player, as the Blues themselves remain keen on adding a new big-name player in that position.
Arsenal have also been linked with the likes of Karim Benzema and Luis Suarez, but Wenger will do his best to keep spending down in order to bring in quantity over individual quality this January, and sees Ba as the most realistic target due to his current status at Stamford Bridge. Still, even though the Senegalese international has failed to impress since his move to the club in January, his prolific record at Newcastle has persuaded Wenger that he could be a good player if given a chance for Arsenal.