You just couldn’t stop our Arsenal contingent from yapping here in the Football Transfer Tavern this morning with an exclusive from the Daily Star claiming that Arsene Wenger is eyeing up a shock £20 million swoop for Watford striker Troy Deeney this month.
Shock isn’t the word here by the bar with many Gooners asking themselves just why would Wenger shell out nearly double the fee they paid for Olivier Giroud on somebody that surely isn’t even as good as the French international?
While Deeney has mastered the step up into the Premier League admirably this term alongside his partner in crime up top for the Hornets Odion Ighalo, our Arsenal punters were holding out hope for news on the future of the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, not Deeney!
Our Arsenal contingent are usually left feeling frustrated in transfer windows but at least this time, it looks as if Wenger is moving to get his work completed early with the signature of FC Basel’s Mohamed Elneny looking imminent at the time of writing.
While the Egyptian international will sure up the Gunners’ central midfield area, they still look light up top given Danny Welbeck’s continued absence and another body is certainly welcome but the mention of Deeney today hasn’t really been taken seriously at all by a large section of the punters.
That said, if Deeney were to surprisingly rock up at Emirates Stadium this month, who could be joining him? Here’s five men who might be following him to North London.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players who could follow Troy Deeney to Arsenal this month.
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Adrien Rabiot
How many times do we hear that Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot is feeling unsettled at his amount of game time in the French capital?
Well the rumours are doing the rounds once again this January with the latest from The Independent being that the 20-year-old is looking for a loan switch away from the Parc Des Princes this month with Arsene Wenger having already admitted that he could swoop for more than one player this January.
Rabiot has even received criticism from PSG’s own fans for his lack of commitment and flirtation with the prospect of moving away in transfer windows and as we know, Arsene Wenger doesn’t like characters that can unsettle a dressing room but that said, he’s one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe.
With Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky not expected to stay beyond the end of the season, adding Elneny plus another up-and-coming midfielder such as Rabiot seems a sensible bet although we’re sure many Gooners would like the Frenchman on a permanent deal and not just simply on loan.
Sofiane Boufal
While Arsenal are well stocked for attacking-minded midfielders, this hasn’t stooped Arsene Wenger collecting many of them in the past and another reportedly on his radar right now is Lille’s 22-year-old talent Sofiane Boufal according to Metro.
Having only made the move to Les Dogues at the start of the campaign, Boufal has been mightily impressive, so much so that Paris Saint-Germain are also taking a glance at the former Angers man.
While the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck are missing at the moment, you do feel as if Arsenal could benefit from an additional attack-minded player with Alex Iwobi and Jeff Reine-Adelaide representing uninspiring options (not their fault!) from the bench over the past month or so.
Despite not being well known in this country, Boufal is rated at around £18.5 million and as we’ve seen time and again from Arsenal in the past, they don’t always go for instantly recognisable names – just look at Mohamed Elneny!
Marcelo Brozovic
Arsenal fans are well aware of the name Marcelo Brozovic nowadays with the Croatian international having been linked a few times in the past but the rumours are back this month.
Metro reference Italian-based reports that claim the 23-year-old is set to make his Inter Milan loan spell from Dinamo Zagreb permanent in the next couple of days before then being sold to a bidder – believed to be Arsenal.
Included in our countdown due to the fact that Arsene Wenger has reportedly taken a look at him before, Brozovic is clearly a player who Arsenal could do with given the fact Flamini, Arteta and Rosicky are set to be released at the end of the season.
In Coquelin, Elneny and Brozovic, the Gunners would have a much more youthful looking, dynamic core to their team.
Youssef-Ait-Bennasser
If you didn’t know anything about Lille’s Sofiane Boufal, we doubt you’ll know much about Nancy’s 19-year-old attacking midfielder Youssef-Ait-Bennasser.
That said, he’s on the Gunners’ radar right now if you believe what you read in talkSPORT with the publication claiming that Arsene Wenger’s side are leading candidates for the teenage Moroccan’s signature.
Bennasser – not to be confused with Ismael Bennacer who the Gunners already own – is actually plying his trade in Ligue 2 right now but despite this, Wenger is reportedly looking at the youngster as another potential star of the future.
And lets be honest, how many times in the past have Arsenal swooped for somebody who could be great in the future over signing more players who could do a job in the present?
Giannelli Imbula
Remember this man, Giannelli Imbula?
His name was seemingly constantly bandied about the tavern in the summer prior to the Frenchman signing for FC Porto but he’s back on the agenda ahead of schedule with the former Marseille man having failed to settle into his new Portuguese surroundings.
The Express claim Arsenal are on red alert over his potential arrival with the 23-year-old having only started eight of Porto’s Primeira Liga fixtures so far this campaign.
Imbula would come at a cost of £18.5 million according to the reports but as we’ve mentioned on our previous slides, it appears there is room for not only Mohamed Elneny but another central midfielder with Jack Wilshere’s injury problems seemingly getting worse by the year and the aforementioned trio of Flamini, Arteta and Rosicky set to be moved along.
