It’s been an unfamiliar but decent couple of weeks to be an Arsenal fan.
Arsene Wenger’s side looked back to their best in the 3-0 win at Stoke City before that faultless away day performance at Manchester City.
That was followed by installing themselves as the favourites for the FA Cup this weekend with a win at Brighton & Hove Albion whilst Arsene Wenger has pulled off the unthinkable and signed a player his side actually need during the January transfer window.
With the Gunners adding Brazilian centre back Gabriel Paulista to their ranks, the move that will see Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny given some much needed back-up whilst the likes of Nacho Monreal, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy will be able to stay in their preferred position of full back.
With a week remaining of the transfer window, we wonder whether Wenger will be able to surprise us further and add a couple more additions before next Monday’s deadline.
After all, in his pre-Brighton press conference last week, the French tactician noted: “We are ready to pay the price we think is right for a good player, no matter what the price is. If we think it’s the right price we will pay.”
Here we have identified five players who could end up following Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal this month.
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Click on Arsene Wenger to reveal 5 players to follow Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal this January.
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Fabian Schar
Arsene Wenger has always been a fan of signing young talent and FC Basel’s Swiss international centre back Fabian Schar has been on the Gunners’ radar for some time.
Still only 22, Schar is a key player for his club as well as country and has been a part of the sides that have seen off Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and most recently Liverpool in recent European campaigns.
Schar is keen for a move to a bigger club and Arsenal can afford his £10 million price tag whilst four centre backs is the standard requirement for a club competing on four fronts a season.
Winston Reid
Alternatively, reports linking Winston Reid with a move to the Emirates Stadium will not go away. The New Zealand international is yet to sign a new contract with West Ham United and whilst Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to keep him, he may fancy his chances at a top four side should Arsenal come calling.
His contractual situation at Upton Park means Arsenal could well attempt to lure him away for a cut-price before the window shuts this month.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Southampton’s French international midfielder was at the centre of a transfer tug of war between Arsenal and Tottenham in the summer with the Saints eventually keeping a hold of their main man.
However, with Arsenal crying out for a defensive midfielder and the fact Schneiderlin would be eligible for the latter stages of the Champions League, a big money offer this winter would be tough for both Southampton and the player to turn down.
Ronald Koeman believes his side can sneak into that top four however and so will surely keep a hold of him until the summer at least when Arsenal may have more of a chance of securing his services.
William Carvalho
Also persistently linked with the Gunners, Carvalho is well regarded as one of the most exciting talents in Europe whilst he has also been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United.
Arsenal’s need for a defensive midfielder is perhaps more extreme however but it remains to be seen whether Wenger will be willing to stump the £30 million asking price placed on his head by Sporting Lisbon. One for the summer perhaps?
Julian Draxler
Arsenal fans were gutted that their side missed out on the signing of Julian Draxler during the January transfer window of 2014.
Twelve months on, they will be hoping it is a different story with Schalke aware they cannot hold onto their prized asset for much longer. A move for Draxler may well be dependent on the future of Mesut Ozil however.
Ozil has been linked with a return to Germany by some reports and he probably has until the end of the season to save his Arsenal career, otherwise Draxler may be brought in as a replacement.
