12 players Arsenal could bring to the Emirates using their £173m cash reserves.
Arsenal have announced their latest financial results, revealing cash reserves in excess of £170m.
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Here are 12 players Arsenal could be looking to buy in January or next summer with the cash:
12) Sokratis Papastathopoulos – Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal are in dire need of defensive reinforcements, as illustrated by Mathieu Debuchy’s unfortunate injury. With Chambers playing at right-back the Gunners have no cover at centre-back, and Wenger really should have brought in a Thomas Vermaelen replacement over the summer.
Sokratis was heavily linked with a late move to North London, but an injury to Dortmund’s Mat Hummels put paid to that. There is a chance Arsenal could go back in for him next summer or even in January.
11) Pedro – Barcelona
Arsene Wenger has a habit of playing midfielders out on the left wing, which offers Arsenal more control of the midfield, but forces the full-backs to create all the width.
Players like Pedro, Theo Walcott, and Alexis Sanchez are inside forwards who are very happy cutting in from the wings, but also have the pace and trickery to beat their man and put the ball into the box.
Pedro would probably cost the Gunners a sizeable amount, but he would offer a fantastic option on either flank, and may be happy to link up with his old Barcelona teammate Alexis Sanchez
10) William Carvalho – Sporting Lisbon
With Arteta and Flamini ageing Arsenal need to be looking to the future for the troublesome defensive midfield role.
With a new deal at Sporting being touted, Arsene Wenger should make his move sooner rather than later if he is interested in Carvalho.
The powerful youngster looks like he has all the makings of a star, and could be a solid fixture in the Arsenal midfield for years to come.
9) Julian Draxler – Schalke
Draxler was thought to be on his way to the Emirates on a couple of occasions last season, with a deal looking inevitable at times.
Arsene Wenger has claimed that although the 21-year-old currently plays either out wide or as a no. 10, the French manager eventually sees him as a striker.
Draxler seems open to a move to Arsenal at some point, so if the price is right this seems like a deal that could still happen.
8) Gabriel Paletta – Parma
Former Liverpool defender Paletta didn’t have the greatest time during his first spell in the Premier League, making just a handful of appearances for the Merseyside club. He has been fantastic in Serie A since joining Parma however, earning himself a number of international caps and attracting interest from some big clubs.
The question is: would he be willing to try a return to the Premier League after his first outing was such a failure?
7) Morgan Schneiderlin – Southampton
The French midfielder would have been a perfect signing for Arsenal this summer, but not only did the Gunners face stiff competition from other clubs, the 24-year-old also had his move away from the Saints blocked.
Excellent on the ball, tough tackling, and now with plenty of Premier League experience, Schneiderlin would slot straight into the Arsenal squad as a replacement for his ageing compatriot Mathieu Flamini.
He may command a sizeable transfer fee, and may even prefer a move to Tottenham to link up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino, but if Wenger can get him he would be a superb addition.
6) Sven Bender – Borussia Dortmund
Just like Schneiderlin Bender is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need. He doesn’t have the Premier League experience that the Frenchman does, but he is just as capable in the heart of the midfield.
He would add some steel and grit to the side while not reducing the quality of the Gunners’ passing game.
5) Paul Pogba – Juventus
Possibly a bit of a pipe dream, but with Arsenal’s massive coffers they are capable of at least dreaming big for the moment.
Arguably one of the best young talents in world football at the moment, there aren’t many clubs that aren’t chasing the young Frenchman.
He would cost an astronomical amount, but he really is a complete midfielder and would really add something to the Gunners’ lineup.
4) Edinson Cavani – PSG
Playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG has not been enjoyable for the Uruguayan, and with suggestions that he is looking for a move rife at the moment, a number of clubs are on alert.
He would no doubt cost a small fortune, with the French champions looking to at least recoup some of the £55m they originally paid for him, but he is definitely a striker of quality.
3) Raphael Varane – Real Madrid
One of the most promising young centre-backs around at the moment, you would think Real Madrid would want to hold onto him. But with the Frenchman being linked with a move over the summer, it looks like he could be available at the right price.
Both Arsenal’s current centre-backs are getting on in years, so to invest in Varane now could be a very savvy move. A future pairing of Calum Chambers and Raphael Varane could be fantastic for the Gunners.
2) Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has been linked with Arsenal for as long as many of us can remember, with Arsene Wenger stating that he is an admirer on many occasions.
A move for the 26-year-old never seems to materialise however, and the Gunners have often been left short up front.
Despite playing for Real Madrid Benzema is an extremely underrated forward, and would add some real quality up front for the London club.
1) Marco Reus – Borussia Dortmund
It was rumoured that Arsenal had a deal in place to sign the Dortmund forward before his injury earlier in the year, so it’s fair to believe that Arsene Wenger is very serious about the German.
Reus would be exactly what the Gunners need going forward, filling that true wide player void they have on the left, but also able to do a job up front.