Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is looking to add quality recruits in January, after reportedly being given a lump-sum transfer war-chest and has earmarked German youngsters Andre Schurrle and Lewis Holtby as potential additions to provide much needed depth for his underperforming squad.
Schurrle, 21, has been a target for Chelsea and had a £20m bid rebuffed in the summer. The English club is expected to be knocking at Bayer’s corridor again for the German international but according to Daily Mail rivals Arsenal are equally interested in securing his services.
The Gunners have a good contingent of German players in the side. They already have top internationals like Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker while youngsters Serge Gnabry and Thomas Eisfeld are swiftly making up the grade too having threatening to break into the first team.
Wenger buoyed by seeing the potentials of young German players has sent chief scout Steve Rowley to expand his European scouting network.
Holtby, a target for Liverpool, has less than a year left in his contract and has impressed the Arsenal boss during Schalke’s 2-0 triumph over the Gunners at the Emirates in the Champions League earlier this month.
The contract situation of Theo Walcott is a huge worry for Arsenal. While the Englishman would be eligible to sign a pre-contract elsewhere in January, the club would prefer to cash in on the player, if the situation doesn’t improve within next couple of months. Also, the future of striker Marouane Chamakh still hangs in balance; therefore any move for the 22-year-old German striker makes a lot of sense.
It does make sense but the problem is that both these players are valued above 20m pounds.Chelsea had a 22m bid for Schurrle rejected in the summer transfer window.
I don’t think anyone needs reminding that the price is the first thing Arsene looks for in a player before he buys a player(some like it some don’t).He then looks to see if the player is technical or not regardless of how well he has done.Just look at a few examples:Chamakh(free),Silvestre(free),Park Chu Young(2mil),Eboue(2mil),Squllachi(6mil)…the list goes on.It is a big gamble out of which many have failed while some have excelled…..only to move to other clubs.