With the chances of winning this season’s Premier League title now all but over for another year, Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger is understood to have already drawn up a list of transfer targets that he wants to land when the summer window reopens on July 1 …
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Serge Aurier (Toulouse)
Price tag: £6m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 75%
The Ivory Coast international is currently enjoying an eye-catching campaign for his club side in France, so much so that a number of Premier League clubs, as well as teams from across the Continent, are all said to be lining up to buy the right back this summer.
However, it is still expected that the north Londoners will win the race for the defender’s signature ahead of the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Inter Milan, with the full back set to replace the departing Bacary Sagna at the Emirates next season.
Martin Hinteregger (Red Bull Salzburg)
Price tag: £10m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 65%
The Gunners, as well as rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, have been keeping close tabs on the highly rated Austria international all season long as boss Arsene Wenger looks to add more strength in depth to his back line next season.
And the central defender that the Frenchman wants to take on the role as back up to current first-choice centre backs Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny is the Austrian champions’ versatile defender, although Arsenal will face stiff competition for the 21-year-old’s signature.
Julian Draxler (Schalke 04)
Price tag: £37.5m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 60%
Wenger and Arsenal have been chasing the coveted young Germany international for over a year now, although still the north Londoners are waiting to land the wonderkid, despite coming desperately close to pulling off a big-money deal for the player in the recent January transfer window.
However, the Premier League side are still expected to return with an improved offer for the 20-year-old when the summer transfer window reopens, although with a reported buyout clause worth a whopping £37.5m, the north London club know they will have to break the bank in order to lure the midfielder to the capital for next season.
Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich)
Price tag: £37.5m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 50%
It does appear as though the highly rated Croatia international will be leaving the Allianz Arena come the end of the campaign due to the impending arrival in Bavaria of Poland striker Robert Lewandowski.
And despite having a contract with the Bundesliga and European champions that runs until June 2016, while also being a key member of Pep Guardiola’s lineup, the 27-year-old is said to be keen to move on this summer in order to try out a new challenge in his career in a different league.
Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid)
Price tag: £45m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 20%
The north Londoners came close to landing the brilliant Argentina international during last summer’s transfer window, only for the La Liga giants to instead opt to offload Mesut Ozil, who moved to the Emirates.
However, with Los Blancos needing to raise funds in order to try to lure Liverpool forward Luis Suarez to the Santiago Bernabeu next season, the wide man is set to be put up for sale to the highest bidder this summer, so expect Arsenal to try a second time to land the player.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Price tag: £15m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 30%
The classy Belgium has already dropped a major hint that he intends to quit White Hart Lane this summer of Spurs fail to qualify for next season’s Uefa Champions League by finishing in the top four of the Premier League come the end of the season and with the Gunners boss wanting to sign another centre back for next season, expect the Frenchman to target a move for the player.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Price tag: £45m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 20%
It is well known that the Arsenal manager is a huge admirer of the France international, with Wenger having tried on a number of occasions in the past to try to sign the forward, without success.
However, with Benzema’s current deal in the Spanish capital now having less than 18 months left to run on it,and with no extension in the offing, there remains the strong possibility that Los Blancos will attempt to offload the 26-year-old this summer.
And if that scenario does come to fruition, then expect Benzema to end up at the Emirates next season.
Younes Kaboul (Tottenham Hotspur)
Price tag: Free agent
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 50%
Rumours have been rife in recent days linking the Frenchman with a shock move from White Hart Lane to the Emirates when the 28-year-old’s current deal with Spurs runs out at the end of June.
And while such a move between the two arch rivals would be highly controversial, it has happened before when Sol Campbell also left Tottenham for Arsenal on a free transfer.
Josip Drmic (Freiburg)
Price tag: £10m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 50%
The Gunners have been busy scouting the young Swiss hot shot of late with the striker having manage to hit the back of the net on 16 occasions already this season in just 27 league outings for the Bundesliga outfit, the second-highest tally in the German top flight.
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
Price tag: £15m
Chances of moving to the Emirates this summer: 20%
While the coveted France international may leave White Hart Lane at the end of the campaign, with the north London club set to miss out on a top-four finish in the Premier League, and with it qualification for the Uefa Champions League too, a move across the capital may prove problematic, for obvious reasons.
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