There may still be 7 weeks until the transfer window opens, but after Arsene Wenger admitted that Arsenal needed another defender in January the transfer rumours are usually about (possibly) available centre-backs.
The latest one to be linked is Man United’s Chris Smalling according to the Mirror. They claim that now Adrien Rabiot has signed a new deal with PSG, Wenger will turn to Smalling as a new alternative.
Fabian Shar is another. The Swiss international has made it clear that he aiming for bigger ad better things in the future. He was quoted in the Metro as saying: ‘Basel are open to negotiations, but at this moment I have decided that I want to concentrate on my performances,’
‘I went through a difficult period and it wasn’t the right time to discuss my renewal. I don’t want to be worrying about that now.
‘My dream remains to have an experience abroad. I’ve always said that if the opportunity presented itself, I would take it, obviously in agreement with Basel.
‘I need a team with important prospects. I’d like the Bundesliga, Premier League or top Italian clubs like Inter, Milan and Juventus. I couldn’t say no.
‘I want to hear all my options and consider them carefully. There was some contact in the summer, but nothing serious.’
Shar is said to be available for 10 million, but Aston Villa’s Ron Vlaar is also a strong possibility as his contract is up at the end of the season. Maybe Wenger could persuade Villa to let him go in January for a small fee rather than lose him for nothing in the summer. The Mail reckons that Arsenal AND Man United could be after the Dutchman..
Arsenal reportedly tried to sign Celtic’s Virgil Van Dijk on deadline day, and he remains my most likely arrival now that Celtic have had time to source a replacement, but which one of those four ould YOU choose?