Arsenal fans in the Football Transfer Tavern thought it may have been too good to be true.
Reports the club were on the verge of completing a deal for Villarreal’s Brazilian centre back Gabriel Paulista emerged this week and showed Arsene Wenger had actually managed to identify an area in which his side needed strengthening and moved to do something about it.
But latest reports suggest the man who has played such a key part in Villarreal’s rise up La Liga could see his move to the Premier League cancelled due to work permit issues whilst Wenger himself says the prospect of the deal going through is only 50:50.
Failure to land Paulista would leave Arsenal short of centre back options once again with the likes of Calum Chambers, Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Debuchy forced to cover already this season.
Wenger’s failure to replace Thomas Vermaelen in the summer has already proved costly and is an error that simply can’t be repeated this month.
With work permit issues threatening to wreck the Frenchman’s plans, we have identified five ‘last ditch’ alternatives for the Gunners to consider.
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Click on Arsene Wenger to reveal 5 ‘last ditch’ Arsenal alternatives to Gabriel Paulista.
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Winston Reid
The New Zealand international defender is out of contract at the end of the season and despite Sam Allardyce saying he won’t listen to offers of anything less than £20 million, Arsene Wenger knows he can sign him for considerably less than that.
This is not to mention West Ham United knowing they will find it very difficult to keep a hold of Reid if Arsenal come calling.
Reid is eligible for Champions League football and after helping the Hammers to the Premier League’s top four, he will surely feel he deserves a crack at a higher level.
Martin Hinteregger
Twenty-two-year-old Austrian centre back Martin Hinteregger has experience of being a league champion with Red Bull Salzburg and has been tipped to perform at a higher level.
Reports claim Arsenal have sent scouts to watch him in action ahead of a possible January bid whilst the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham United have also been linked with a move over the past 12 months.
Benedikt Howedes
Reports suggest the 26-year-old could become the latest German to be added to the Arsenal ranks.
Benedikt Howedes has been a consistent performer for Schalke in the Bundesliga whilst he was also a key member of the German squad that won the summer’s World Cup.
Arsene Wenger has registered an interest whilst the German contingent already at the Emirates Stadium could well have a say in whether he ends up in North London.
Roberto Di Matteo’s side brought Manchester City’s Matija Nastasic to the Veltins Arena on loan earlier this month and one of our punters questions whether this could have anything to do with the future of Howedes.
Fabian Schar
Most Arsenal supporters are of the opinion Wenger needs to invest in two new centre backs as quickly as possible – one established and one youngster with potential.
But with the transfer deadline looming and work permit issues proving difficult to overcome, Arsenal supporters would be grateful for just about anyone right now.
FC Basel star Fabian Schar has been an influential member of a side that has beaten Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool in Europe recently.
Just 22-years-old and already a Swiss international, Schar has plenty of potential and would be available for around £10 million.
Ron Vlaar
The Dutchman may prove the most appealing ‘last ditch’ signing to Wenger due to the cut-price nature of the deal.
Vlaar is out of contract at Villa Park in the summer and can move for a nominal fee in January.
Vlaar is looking to move to a bigger club after his displays for Holland at the World Cup proved what he is capable of and given his Premier League experience, he may well be a decent short-term option for the Gunners.
And given the crisis going on at Villa Park at present, it would hardly come as a shock if Vlaar were able to force through a move before deadline day.
