Arsenal fans in the Transfer Tavern have been whipped into a frenzy this afternoon after some sensation reports from across the football world, which suggest their transfer business may not be as over as they think.
It all started with reports cited in The Express that state Arsenal have agreed a £23m fee to land Andriy Yarmolenko from Dynamo Kiev, in what would be a significant purchase from the title hopefuls.
After hearing that their side is still active in the transfer market, our Arsenal punters are excitedly discussing which other players could arrive and follow Yarmolenko to the Emirates Stadium before the window slams shut on Monday evening.
We gathered them around the bar to hear their views and to be fair the names they pulled up weren’t too audacious and there’s a high chance that some of these could be movers as we head into the final days of the mid-season market.
Hit Yarmolenko below to see FIVE players who could follow him to Arsenal!
[ffc-gallery]
[/ffc-gallery]
Ben Chilwell
The teenage Leicester City full-back has already been subject to a number of bids from Arsenal this month and it’s widely reported that the Gunners will maintain their interest right up until the end of the window, with the Gunners trying to capture the 19-year-old before a frenzy in the summer.
Chilwell spent the first-half of the season on-loan at Huddersfield Town and is highly-rated, despite not yet making a Premier League appearance in his short career. He did, however, feature in both FA Cup games against Tottenham Hotspur this month.
Should Arsenal land their target, it will raise speculation on the future of Kieran Gibbs but Arsenal’s defence would be significantly stronger in the long-term.
Nolito
Regular drinkers in the Transfer Tavern will be all too aware with Nolito’s links with Arsenal, having had rumours sparked right at the beginning of the campaign. The problem then was Barcelona but with a deal for Nolito falling through, the Celta Vigo man is up for grabs again.
Arsenal’s problem this time around though could prove to be Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who hold rival interest in the Spanish winger, but the Gunners should comfortably land his signature if they agree a fee with Celta Vigo as they can offer Champions League football.
Crucially for Arsenal, this star player would immediately become available for the Gunners massive knock-out tie with Barcelona next month.
Isco
Another long term target for Arsenal, recent reports suggest that Real Madrid are happy to part ways with the Spaniard for a figure of just £25m. In fact, some suggestions go even further as they state the Spanish giants have encouraged Arsenal to make a bid.
Isco would be seen as a major improvement on the Gunners midfield, specifically with Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini seeing their contracts expire in the summer, and the Spaniard could be the ideal long-term replacement for compatriot Santi Cazorla.
If Arsenal landed this target, he’d undoubtably be the signing of the window.
Emanuel Mammana
A new target emerging in the tabloids is highly-rated River Plate defender Emanuel Mammana, a player that Football Manager fanatics in the Transfer Tavern know all to well. At just 19, the Argentine star is touted to be an excellent prospect in the future.
Should Arsenal want to see him develop at the Emirates though, they’d have to make a move soon as it’s now stated Italian side Fiorentina have fronted a tempted-bid to the South American side. The lure of Arsenal would surely be too much, if they emerged as genuine suitors in the market.
Granit Xhaka
An unlikely capture to be made before Monday’s deadline, Arsenal’s interest in Granit Xhaka is high but the Gunners will have to wait until the summer. Borussia Monchengladbach are reluctant to let the player leave, but accept a large bid would be difficult to reject, whilst the Swiss international is said to be keen on a move.
Whilst summer is the most likely time to see the 23-year-old midfielder move away from his current Bundesliga employers, money talks in football and a move could be accelerated if the Gunners swooped now.
There’s no doubt that Xhaka would increase Arsenal’s squad depth though, and would increase their chances of landing the Premier League title, so it’s one you should keep your eyes peeled on.
