Arsenal FC: Deadline Day Potential Transfer Targets

A lot of people have joked that Arsenal‘s transfer window has opened only now as Wenger seems to leave his acquisitions till the last minute. With the Deadline Day on our heads,Ai??hereai??i??s a look at some of the potential targets that might end up at Emirates on deadline day.

Arsene Wenger told the club’s official website:

ai???Are we active? Yes. Are we close to sign anybody? No,”

ai???There’s not long now that’s true. First, the situation was going like always in a transfer market – week by week. In the last two weeks it goes day by day, now it goes hour by hour.

ai???In any hour anything can happen or change but at the moment, unfortunately, we are not signing anybody.ai???

Julian Draxler (Schalke 04)

Julian Draxler has been linked with a move to the Emirates for almost the entirety of the transfer window. Draxler is considered to be a German prodigy, and rightly so with the player proving his dominance in the midfield, with the versatility to play on either wings or in the middle as an attacking midfielder. He can virtually be moulded into anything his manager requires him to be. People have suggested that he could be like a Robin van Persie for Arsenal, who can be adapted into a striker, if the need be. Draxler has the adaptability to pass efficiently, beat the defenders and even get into good positions to have a shot at goal himself, something he does often. However, it should be noted that he has only scored once in the Bundesliga this season.

Sources in GermanyAi??claim a A?36m final fee has been agreed between Arsenal and Schalke, but negotiations were ongoing over the structure of the deal. Ai??The fact that Draxler’s value will only rise in the summer would definitely push the Arsenal management to act with promptness now. Ai??However, Schalke have ruled out the player’s departure, as of now.

Horst Heldt, general manager of the club recently commented:

“We are happy to have such a world-class player in our lines. I am very convinced that Draxler will be playing for us in the Rueckrunde (second half of the season) but most probably beyond that.Ai??We are not interested in letting Julian leave, and he has also not approached us about a transfer.”

Wenger needs to make additions to the squad. The fact that Aaron Ramsey will be on the sidelines for a while and Jack Wilshere also struggling with injury only adds to the fact. Arsenal also have the long term injury of Theo Walcott to worry the club. Draxler would be the perfect addition to the club and such strong rumors might indicate that the player be brought in, during the last 24 hours, to London.

Mirko VuA?iniAi??,Ai??Juventus

The addition of another striker would help Wenger in attaining the prized League trophy. (Image courtesy: soomaalidamaanta.com) — The addition of another striker would help Wenger in attaining the prized League trophy.
(Image courtesy: soomaalidamaanta.com)

The fact that Arsenal require a back up striker to be added within the club’s ranks is definitely not something which has gone unnoticed with the supporters, pundits etc.Ai??The club needs a striker who can share the burden of goals alongside Olivier Girould. Wenger addressing this simple need might be exactly what he needs to get his hands on the Premier League title.

Juventus’s Vucinic has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates.Ai??The Montenegro player moved to Juventus Ai??in 2011 and scored 10 goals in all competitions during his first season with the club. However, the player has made only six starts for the Serie A champions this season, as Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente have been the preferred options for Antonio Conte.

However, it seems as though theAi??Gunners have reached an agreement to sign the striker on loan until the end of the season.

Vucinic’s representative Alessandro Lucci said that the player is involved in a possible move:

“Vucinic spoke with Conte and they have agreed he will train apart in these last days of the transfer market because he is involved in some possible negotiations”

Juve CEO Giuseppe Marotta said that the stiker could leave before the close of play tomorrow.

“Vucinic? He will go if we ask him. This, however, has not yet happened.”

However, recent developments quote the player’s agent as saying that the player would not leave the club to join Arsenal:

“There is no chance that Vucinic will join Arsenal. He has decided to remain with Juventus.”

Therefore, at the moment, the possible arrival of the Montenegro player in London looks blurry, but a possible end minute deal might occur for the Gunners and the player might become Wenger’s masterstoke in the transfer window. The addition of a back up striker who could pitch in with around 8-10 goals in the remainder of the season would help the club a lot and is probably what they need more at the moment, even more so than Draxler.

Ai??Blaise Matuidi, PSG

Wenger is interested in signing PSG's box to box operator — Wenger is interested in signing PSG’s box to box operator

Arsenal have apparently shown a late interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi.Ai??Arsenal have joined Manchester City in the chase to sign the midfielder who wants a move out of Paris due to the club’s unwillingness to double hisAi??A?40,000-a-week wages.

The player is a dynamic central midfielder who in Ancelotti’s time was very often employed as a defensive midfielder. He is a fierce and strong tackler.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has angrily warned off all suitors of the player and has said that there would be “consequences” of someone trying to prize their player away:

ai???We respect all clubs. But if a club try to recruit one of our players they will accept to have to bear the consequences. And what I say is not only for Manchester City, who, from what I know, have not contacted Matuidi.ai??i??

With Yohan Cabaye’s transfer to PSG, Matuidi would now want to move out of the club even more, with competition for places intensifying. However PSG do not want to sell Matuidi and are convincing the Frenchman that his future lies with the club and are willing to offer him a new contract.

Arsene Wenger’s pursuit of the box to box operator might bear fruits eventually and the PSG man might be the Gunners deadline day arrival.

Tags: Arsenal FC