Check out the top five defensive targets Arsenal are looking to bring to the Emirates this January…
It’s no secret that Arsenal are sorely in need of defensive reinforcements. A number of key injuries has highlighted the Gunners’ already defensively weak squad, so a January addition is a must for Arsene Wenger.
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Here are five defensive players they are targeting in the New Year:
5) Grzegorz Krychowiak – Sevilla
A superb defensive midfielder, the Polish international possesses a fantastic physical presence and has an excellent engine.
He is the perfect replacement for the likes of Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini, whose legs are not what they used to be. The Sevilla star would compliment Aaron Ramsey in midfield perfectly.
Repeatedly linked with the Gunners in recent weeks, with Wenger apparently keeping tabs on him for months.
4) Christoph Kramer – Borussia Monchengladbach
An extremely defensive minded midfielder, Kramer is exactly what the club needs as he would give the rest of the team the freedom to go forward.
Currently on loan at Monchengladbach from Bayer Lverkusen, he may not be available in January unfortunately for the North Londoners.
The Gunners will also face competition from rivals Tottenham Hotspur, making the transfer even more difficult.
3) Virgil van Dijk – Celtic
The centre-back has been making waves in Scotland this season and is allegedly open to a move to the Premier League.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with him for a while now, with many seeing him as the perfect defensive addition to the squad.
Manchester United are also believed to be interested however, and if a bidding war starts then Wenger may lose interest.
2) Stephan Lichtsteiner – Juventus
At 30-years-old this may not be the best bit of business for the North London outfit in terms of looking to the future, but the Swiss international would certainly add quality, so Wenger’s interest is not totally unexpected.
With Calum Chambers seen more as a centre-back in the long run and Mathieu Debuchy out injured the Gunners may need to add numbers in the full-back department.
1) Winston Reid – West Ham United
With bags of Premier League experience, Reid could be the perfect signing for the Gunners.
His refusal to pen a new deal with the Hammers means the centre-back will be a free agent next summer. If Sam Allardyce doesn’t want to lose him for nothing then he will be forced to cash in on him in January.
The 26-year-old defensive target certainly seems like one of Wenger’s typical bargain buys.