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The news that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was on his way to Rome to officiate a charity match only angered fans of the North London club further as their not-so-pleasant calls for a new striker to be signed continued to fall on death ears.
Arsenal look set to end the summer transfer window with a whimper having made a major impact early on with the addition of Alexis Sanchez, and fans are convinced that the current squad does not have enough firepower to mount a serious Premier League title challenge.
Wenger remained adamant that the likes of Yaya Sanogo, Alexis, Lukas Podolski and a soon-to-be-fit Theo Walcott can cover for the absent Olivier Giroud, as the Frenchman will not be stepping onto the pitch in an Arsenal shirt until the turn of the year after suffering a broken tibia.
But there are still options, somewhat limited, for the Gunners should they make a late, late move to strengthen with a big name signing. And who knows, maybe it will be a familiar face that returns to the Emirates.
Click on the gallery below to see the remaining players Arsenal could sign.
Show all 12 1 /12Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Marco Reus The sought-after Borussia Dortmund star is back in action after agonisingly missing the World Cup through injury, and had he starred in Brazil he could well have been at a new club by now. As it stands, Reus looks set to remain with the Bundesliga runners-up, although Arsenal could use their rivals big-money deals to their advantage by making a late move for Reus. The attacking midfielder would cost in excess of £25m, although there is believed to be a clause in his contract that will see him available for that fee next year.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Danny Welbeck The England striker spent the day with the national side preparing for the international friendly against Norway on Wednesday, but it soon emerged that the United forward was attempting to push through a permanent move to the Gunners. Arsenal are reported to have agreed a £16m fee with United in order to discuss personal terms with the striker.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Wilfried Bony Bony began the summer as a reported target for Liverpool, but Swansea’s reluctance to let the Ivorian leave looks to have prevented any move away from the Welsh club. The Swans are believed to be looking for around £24m from any club interested in speaking to the striker, and again there is rumoured to be a release clause in play. While the 25-year-old is not a prolific scorer, he offers characteristics that the gunners squad currently lack, although the unproven Yaya Sanogo is of a similar, if less successful mould than Bony.
Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Edinson Cavani A move for Cavani would show Arsenal really mean business. The Uruguayan has remained coy on his future in Paris, leaving the door open to a Premier League switch. That failed to materialise, and it would take Arsenal around £55m to prise the striker away from the French champions – something that looks hugely unlikely. Cavani would continue the trend of adding world class talent to Arsene Wenger’s squad following the recent additions of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil, though it would also demonstrate a complete abandonment in Wenger’s philosophy of developing youth that he has worked so hard to install at the Emirates –something that is already in danger of dying out.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Julian Draxler Draxler was reported to be Arsenal transfer target number one last January, but a serious dip in form appeared to cost him any chance of a place at the World Cup and a move to the Premier League. The Schalke star recently admitted, somewhat surprisingly, that he was not good enough to earn a move to the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, although he will have another chance to impress when the Bundesliga side meet Chelsea once again in the Champions League group stages.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Morgan Schneiderlin Southampton’s wantaway midfielder starred in their 3-1 victory over West Ham at the weekend, and provided a timely reminder of exactly what he can offer to any potential suitors interested in making a deadline day move for the Frenchman. Schneiderlin appeared to be on his way out of the south coast club earlier this summer with Tottenham the likely destination, although interest is believed to have cooled and he could remain at Saints until January at the earliest.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Nicklas Bendtner Surely not? Having let the Dane leave the club on free transfer at the end of the season, Arsenal suddenly look short on strikers. Never short on confidence, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Bendtner to somehow find a way back to the Emirates, and that’s without taking Wenger’s liking to bringing former players back to the club. That said, the Arsenal faithful were somewhat relieved to see the back of Bendtner after a frustrating nine-year spell came to an end in June, and the Gunners would be required to negotiate a move with his current club Wolfsburg after they picked him up on a free transfer last month. Rate this one as the unlikeliest of unlikely deals.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Sokratis Papastathopoulos With one Arsenal target in Kostas Manolas agreeing a move to Italian side Roma, Arsenal were immediately linked with his compatriot Papastathopoulos, otherwise known as Sokratis to those of you not in favour of a tongue-twister. The Gunners were reported to be readying a £15m bid for the Greek international, who joined Borussia Dortmund last summer, although any progress appears to be slow on the Arsenal side of things.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? William Carvalho Carvalho was linked with a move to the Emirates around the time that talk of Sami Khedira’s possible Arsenal switch intensified, and the Portuguese midfielder looks set to remain with Sporting Lisbon when all signs pointed to a move to the Premier League. Arsenal are in the hunt for a defensive midfielder with the talents of Carvalho, although Sporting’s £37m asking price for the 22-year-old looks to have scared off both the Gunners and Manchester United. Both clubs believe they can land him for a fee closer to the £25m mark given that his release clause expires next summer, but as things stand Carvalho will be plying his trade in Portugal for the foreseeable future.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Luiz Gustavo Brazil international Gustavo was a transfer target of Wenger’s last summer only to choose a move to Wolfsburg over the Gunners. 12 months down the line, Gustavo is back on the Arsenal radar, and he could be looking to step up the level of intensity with a move to Arsenal in an attempt to regain his place in the Brazil side. The 27-year-old would certainly fill the defensive midfielder role that is causing Wenger a permanent head-scratcher at present, but whether he would match the supporters’ expectations is more unlikely.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Ron Vlaar The Gunners look short on squad depth at the back having seen Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagne leave in the summer. While Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers have already been brought in during the current transfer window, Wenger’s lack of options were exposed when Per Mertesacker was unavailable for the start of the season and, more recently, Laurent Koscielny was forced off with a head injury during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leicester. Arsenal desperately need another defender if they are to make a realistic run for the title, and while Vlaar would be an unlikely solution, he has certainly enjoyed a strong start to the season as Aston Villa remain unbeaten having conceded just one goal in three league matches.
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Who could Arsenal sign on transfer deadline day? Matija Nastasic A more likely proposition, Nastasic has been told in no uncertain terms that he can leave the Etihad Stadium following the addition of Eliaquim Mangala. Arsenal are believed to be leading the race for the 21-year-old Serbian, who has also fallen behind Martin Demichelis in Manuel Pellegrini’s pecking order. City would be reluctant to let a player head to one of their title rivals, although it would be a welcome change for Arsenal fans having seen five former Gunners head straight to the reigning Premier League champions in recent years.
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