ARSENAL TRANSFER TARGET

Arsenal targets

Forwards were always going to be a priority for
Arsenal in the January transfer window even before
Theo Walcott's season-ending injury but who will
they try to sign? We pick the star attackers and a
key midfielder who could move to Emirates
Stadium this month

ALVARO MORATA
Age: 21
Nationality: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Striker
Estimated Value: £1.2m loan fee / £9m permanent
Alternative Targets: Alexandre Pato (Corinthians),
Salomon Kalou (Lillie), Javier Hernandez
(Manchester United) & Antonio Sanabria
(Barcelona)
Magic Morata
Arsenal have been widely reported to have been in
talks with Real Madrid for some time regarding
Spaniard Alvaro Morata. Arsene Wenger's latest
approach is said to be to try and sign last
summer's European Under 21 Championship top
scorer on loan until the end of the season with a
view to a permanent deal. However, the loan alone
might cost as much as £1.2million. Tottenham
Hotspur and Liverpool are also thought to be
interested and Morata, whose contract expires in
2015, might be keen to move having had to make
do with a fringe role at Real. Speculation also
suggests Real will sign a big-name striker in the
summer, which would push Morata even further out
of the frame.

MARIO MANDZUKIC
Age: 27
Nationality: Croatia
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Forward
Estimated Value: £23m
Alternative Targets: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid),
Pedro (Barcelona) & Mirko Vucinic (Juventus)
Mandzukic the predator
Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic is standing
out as potentially one of the biggest Premier
League deal of January. Arsenal, along with
Manchester United, are rumoured to be after the
Croatian amid reports he will be available due to
Robert Lewandowski's imminent summer move to
Bayern from Borussia Dortmund. As is the norm in
any transfer window, club (Bayern) publicly insist
player (Mandzukic) is not for sale and there has
even been the usual mention of extending his
contract beyond its current end in 2016. But
Arsenal are still rumoured to be showing strong
interest, maybe even for a loan, in a player who
scored 15 goals in last season's Bundesliga.

JACKSON MARTINEZ
Age: 27
Nationality: Colombia
Club: Porto
Position: Forward
Estimated Value: £33.2m
Alternative Targets: Salomon Rondon (Rubin Kazan)
, Alexandre Pato (Corinthians), Antonio Sanabria
(Barcelona)
Possible Arsenal exits:
Park Chu-Young
Spent 2012/13 on loan at Celta Vigo and has since
made just one appearance for Arsenal
Ryo Miyaichi
Only starts in the current campaign have come in
the Capital One Cup
Thomas Vermaelen Now behind Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the first team

Depending on the reports, Jackson Martinez and
Morata are interchangeable as Arsenal's first-
choice target and fall-back option in the transfer
window. It is rumoured that if Arsenal cannot strike
a short-term deal for Morata, they are prepared to
spend big on Porto star Martinez, who is said to
have a £33.2m buyout clause in his contract.

Martinez has admitted in the past he is an Arsenal
fan and would be interested in a move to Emirates
Stadium and he has pedigree having scored seven
goals so far in the Portuguese top flight this
season.

DIMITAR BERBATOV
Age: 32
Nationality: Bulgaria
Club: Fulham
Position: Striker
Estimated Value: £2m
Alternative Targets: Demba Ba (Chelsea), Mirko
Vucinic (Juventus), Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid),
Fernando Llorente (Juventus)
Wenger plays down Berbatov link
The possibility of signing Dimitar Berbatov is a
rumour which is refusing to go away despite
Wenger previously denying his interest in Fulham's
former Tottenham star. It would be a short-term
option given Berbatov's age but he would
reportedly also be available in a cut-price £2m
deal. Berbatov is speculated to be unhappy at
struggling Fulham and a move across London
would mean little to no disruption to his personal
life. Arsenal remain the favourites to sign the
Bulgarian if he does leave Craven Cottage and he
would give Wenger's squad experience along with
strength in depth.

JULIAN DRAXLER
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Club: Schalke
Position: Midfield
Estimated Value: £37.5m
Alternative Targets: Juan Mata (Chelsea), Alen
Halilovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Paul Pogba (Juventus),
Koke (Atletico Madrid) & Clement Grenier (Lyon)
Draxler scores sublime winner
Schalke wonder-kid Julian Draxler is a player
Arsenal have been trying to sign for what seems
like an eternity. The latest reports suggest Wenger
will finally complete a deal this January after the
creative midfielder, who is already a star despite his
young age, was supposedly given a tour of
Arsenal's training ground. Draxler will not come
cheap with a rumoured £37.5m contract release
clause and Arsenal are of course not short of
midfielders but he is a unique talent. However, even
if a deal is agreed this month, it would be a
surprise if Draxler moved before the summer given
Schalke are facing Real Madrid in the last 16 of the
UEFA Champions League while youngster is
thought to want to avoid the disruption of moving
away from Germany before a World Cup in which he
is expected to be a prominent member of his
country's squad.
Sky Bet Say...
Berbatov is deemed Arsenal's most likely signing in
Sky Bet's Transfer Specials. The former Tottenham
striker, who has enjoyed a recent return to form, is
11/10 to join Wenger's title-chasing squad.
Should they fail to buy the Bulgarian, a fresh
approach for Demba Ba is considered their next
most feasible option at 5/2. However, Jose
Mourinho pulled the plug on a potential deal in the
summer as he was unwilling to let one of his squad
players leave for a rival club and the Portuguese
surely sees the league leaders as an even bigger
threat now.
Of the star players the Gunners have been linked
with, it is 12/1 on them signing Juan Mata, 11/4 for
them to buy Diego Costa and 3/1 for Schalke's
Draxler.

Source: skysports new