They say the January transfer window is never the ideal time for Premier League clubs to buy – but that depends on whether you’re looking in the right places.

Take these FIVE stars for example; all highly-talented, all available for incredibly reasonable fees, and all capable of considerably improving Arsenal’s first teams squad for the campaign’s final run-in.

Indeed, being the helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve listed FIVE fantastic transfer opportunities the Gunners can’t afford to ignore in January. Something already tells us however, Arsene Wenger most likely will.

Some have expiring contracts, others release clauses and a few simply need a new home.

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FABIAN SCHAR

Arsenal desperately need to add some bodies to their defence in January, and one centre-back already linked with an Emirates switch is FC Basel’s Fabian Schar:

Statistically speaking, the 22 year-old was the best centre-half in the Champions League last season, as detailed below:

And his World Cup performances were impressive too, amassing eight interceptions in two appearances for Switzerland.

Schar comes with an intoxicating, eye-catching, front-footed presence, bearing similarities to Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels. He regularly takes spot kick duties for Bebbi, and once netted this wonder-strike during his FC Wil days:

With his contract at Basel entering its final year, the 6 foot 1 centre-back looks set to be on the move in January, likely for a pittance too.

But considered to be one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe, previously catching the eye of Barcelona, a plethora of top clubs will be fighting over the Basel star in the new year.

Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan have both been strongly linked, with Lazio also recently emerging as potential suitors. Here’s another look at Schar in action:

WINSTON REID

Another centre-back option a little closer to home comes in the form of West Ham’s Winston Reid, who reportedly came close to joining the Gunners on deadline day:

The 26 year-old has shown remarkable consistency since the East Londoners returned to the Premier League in 2012, claiming the Hammer of the Year award twelve months later. Here’s a look at the 6 foot 3 defender in action:

His Upton Park contract is winding down – a real issue for the Irons – and a new deal is looking increasingly unlikely, with Reid claiming he’s in ‘no hurry’ to sign one. That’s grabbed to a plethora of attention throughout the Premier League:

The New Zealand skipper may not be the most talented or eye-catching centre-half to ever grace the Emirates, but he’s more than proved himself in the top flight and would fit well into the natural hierarchy of the squad as understudy to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Furthermore, the Hammers will be forced to let him leave on the cheap in January, currently valuing him at a reported £8million. But recent speculation claims Reid will snub his other January suitors in favour of a move to Liverpool:

KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR

The Gunners may have snapped up Danny Welbeck on summer deadline day, but they’re still short of quality and depth up top. One potential solution comes in the form of Schalke assassin Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who appears to be on his way out at the Veltins Arena.

The 31 year-old is no spring chicken and his contribution to open play is infamously poor, as shown in the statistics below:

But there’s no doubting the Netherlands international’s goalscoring credentials – he’s bagged an incredible 95 goals in 146 appearances for the Miners, in addition to amassing 36 goals and 66 caps for Orange.

That includes an expectantly consistent return of four goals in nine outings so far this season, one of which came against Chelsea in the Champions League:

Like Schar and Reid, Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and although Schalke have plans for a new deal, they want him to take a wage cut.

That makes a January switch seem all the more likely, and the Express claim he’ll be made available for just £3million. But any interest from Arsenal will likely be rivalled by Spurs:

Here’s a look at Huntelaar’s top five goals in the Bundesliga:

SAMI KHEDIRA

The likeliest player on this list to actually turn up at the Emirates in January, Sami Khedira has been persistently linked with Arsenal since the summer:

Interest stems from the German international entering the final year of his contract, combined with Arsene Wenger recently telling French sports outfit beIN Sport; “We still need a physical presence with prodigious ability like Vieira or Petit.”

It appears the Frenchman is finally coming to terms with his side’s lack of physicality in the middle of the park. A Champions League and World Cup winner, measuring in at 6 foot 2 and famed for his endless energy, the 27 year-old would fit the bill perfectly. Here’s a look at Khedira in action:

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A Bernabeu departure to the Premier League is looking increasingly likely, with the powerful midfielder still yet to agree new terms. It’s believed Los Blancos are prepared to sell for around £10million, but his availability has attracted interest from a number of English clubs:

JAVI MARTINEZ

Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Javi Martinez’ contract at Bayern Munich doesn’t expire until 2017.

But he’s never quite taken Pep Guardiola’s fancy at the Allianz Arena, often forced to feature at centre-half and making thirteen less appearances across all competitions last season than the year previous.

Following an injury that will see him out until the new year, Bayern signed the likeminded Xabi Alonso during the summer and Roma defender Mehdi Benatia, suggesting the German Champions could already be prepared to sell.

The Spain international emerged as one of the most impressive holding players in world football as he helped the Bavarians claim the 2013 Champions League title, making him a more than adequate alternative to Sami Khedira. Here’s a look at some of his highlights thus far for the German giants:

And here’s how he compared to Arsenal’s other defensive midfield options last season:

Signing Martinez would show Arsenal really mean business, but often discussed in the same breath as Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG – to name a few – his services will be in hot demand, should they become available in January.

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In any football match, goals win games. Scoring goals is an extremely fundamental part of the difference between winning and losing. Keeping clean sheets is also pivotal for a team to progress with relative success. With forwards in the shape of Christian Benteke, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann on the books at any club, scoring goals should quite frankly be elementary. Yet this is not the case for Aston Villa and their goal shy frontline.

Scoring just five goals in 11 games so far in the Premier League, not only are Paul Lambert’s men the lowest scorers in the English top flight, but they are also the lowest scorers across all four divisions in England. Cancelling the October goal of the month award due to not scoring a single goal in four games over a four week period really made their struggles evident.  With 11 points on the board and sitting in 16th place, the Villains are in serious danger of another relegation scrap if their strikers don’t buck up their ideas and start hitting the back of the net. It’s safe to say that the days of Martin O’Neil, where the Villa Park outfit were a force to be reckoned with and a top eight finish was simply a routine every season, are long gone.

Benteke is arguably Villa’s best forward and is most likely to score the goals they so desperately need. The powerful target man is not only good in the air, but can also produce moments of brilliance when getting the ball on the floor. With his undoubted quality, it’s quite surprising that he chose to stay at a confidence ridden club. Had it not been for that torrid knee injury that has ruled him out for the past six months, as well as other niggling injuries since he arrived from Belgian side Genk, then the Belgium international would definitely have more than his 29 goals in 61 games over a two year period for Aston Villa.

Quite frankly a legend amongst the Villa faithful is Gabriel Agbonlahor. The pacey forward has notched 279 appearances for his boyhood club, and has been an ever present in the first team since 2006. Despite being blessed with electric pace, Agbonlahor’s goal scoring record is nothing to boast about. With 69 goals to his name, the one club man has always struggled in front of goal, and if he had his shooting boots on more often, then he may have been a regular England international.

Another striker who is looking to follow in Agbonlahor’s footsteps is Andreas Weimann. The Austrian has the same attributes as Agbonlahor, but unfortunately, the same goal scoring record. In 92 games, Weimann has netted 17 times. His age helps him though, considering he is still only 23 years old, Weimann has plenty of time to improve. Meanwhile, Darren Bent looks like his days as a Premier League footballer are numbered. The goal poacher, who has proved at the likes of Ipswich Town, Charlton Atheltic and Sunderland that he is deadly in front of goal, his spell at Villa Park has been one to forget, and is the reason why Lambert has ousted him from the team.

For a club with such massive stature, tradition and fan base, Aston Villa should not be in the position they are in now. When the January transfer window comes calling, a proven goal scorer should be there priority. However, it pains to say, their main focus looks to be keeping hold of star defender Ron Vlaar.

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Arsenal will finish fourth, they always do. Oh wait, they might not actually do it this year, with a five point gap between themselves and West Ham – who occupy the fabled slot – heading into Christmas, while a host of other sides are all competing in a densely packed top half – 10th placed Liverpool are only nine adrift of the Hammers.

Although it’s not been the disaster booing at a train station in Stoke would suggest, mistakes have been made by Arsenal’s boss this season, who appears so unable to adapt and change it’s bordering on insanity… So which FIVE errors have been the most unforgivable? We at FFC Towers have had a little look…

Failure to replace Vermaelen

Even a casual observer over the summer could see that selling Thomas Vermaelen without a replacement in place was a bad idea. Yet, in his wisdom, Wenger allowed the Belgian to leave, and low and behold, the Gunners are short of cover at the back, with injury issues for Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny having been plentiful. In fact, the north Londoners have been so short on options that teenage rookie Calum Chambers has been shoehorned into the role, while the returning Mathieu Debuchy has also been used as a centre-half in recent games.

With £20m to spend in January, getting another body in is the aim for Wenger, who may turn to Winston Reid of West Ham or take a gamble on Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk.

Stubbornness in midfield

It’s a problem that’s been on repeat for a while now at the Emirates, and it’s not Arsene’s awful coat! The Gunners have been without a genuine holding midfielder for as long as we can remember, with various stars – Alex Song and Mathieu Flamini – having failed to replace Patrick Vieira’s influence in the middle of the park. A lack of fight and grit contributed to the feeling that Arsenal have a soft underbelly, which has been exposed on more than one occasion this term – Stoke away is a prime example.

The likes of William Carvalho and Song himself were rumoured targets over the summer, yet Wenger opted against deals.

Failure to adapt tactically

Arsenal have one way of playing under Arsenal. When it goes well, they’re irresistible, with pace, movement and technical excellence hallmarks of the Gunners’ style. Yet on an off day or in the event a team sets up to nullify their threat, they struggle. The first-half against Liverpool saw the Reds’ 3-4-3 set-up push the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck deep, isolating Olivier Giroud. It took Wenger some time to adapt to the issues, and had it not been for wasteful shooting from the Merseysiders, the game could have been gone by the 45-minute mark.

Arsenal have also shown a reluctance and inability to ‘shut up shop’ in games when ahead, with the 3-3 against Anderlecht – a game the Londoners led 3-0 – particularly galling.

Over-reliance on youngsters

Hector Bellerin really impressed against Newcastle the weekend before last. However, the young Spaniard’s start to life in the Gunners’ XI was not so fruitful, with his debut at Dortmund a game the full-back will have all but erased from his memory by now. Emiliano Martinez has also been thrust into goal following a spate of injuries, while the much-maligned Yaya Sanogo has led the line on more than one occasion.

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Reluctance to freshen things up

Although it’s far from crisis time at the Emirates, things have not been going quite as swimmingly as was hoped for. Results have been somewhat predictable, while underperforming stars have been kept in the team in the hope of playing out of ruts.

But with the likes of Lukas Podolski and Joel Campbell waiting on the bench, there have been options to freshen it up. Between the pair – who both impressed at the World Cup earlier this year – a total of 374 minutes on the pitch have been racked up, which has led to criticism from sections of supports wanting something now and diverse.

No Premier League manager quite enjoys a transfer bargain as much as Sam Allardyce.

The West Ham manager’s eclectic knowledge of the transfer market is renowned, but if you require further evidence of his ability to consistently sign value-for-money, just take a look at the summer window and the Hammers’ improvement since; on a modest budget of £30million, he’s transformed the Irons from habitual mid-tablers into genuine top four contenders.

Thus, with the January window upon us and the shops starting their post-Christmas sales, we’ve come up with FIVE bargains that should be taking the Hammers gaffer’s fancy this month.

With all accompanied by valuations under the £10million mark, Allardyce would be mad to ignore them.

AARON LENNON

Former England winger Aaron Lennon hasn’t seen too much Premier League action over the past few seasons amid Spurs’ managerial merry-go-round, but his defining strengths remain undoubted; a strong work-ethic, a decade’s worth of Premier League experience and lethal pace going forward.

He would add a new dimension to the Hammers’ attack whilst also maintaining the industrious themes the East London side are now famed for, providing a level of speed and energy, currently unrivalled throughout the West Ham squad, in the attacking midfield hub.

Aged 27, Lennon still has a good three or four years ahead of him and the Lilywhites are almost certain to sell this month – in fact, Sky Sports claim the former Leeds product will be the only player to leave White Hart Lane.

Mirror Football quote a £7million valuation, which should be within The Irons’ financial reach, but also label Everton as rival suitors.

YEVHEN KONOPLYANKA

Another bargain winger for the Hammers to consider is summer target Yevhen Konoplyanka, who Sam Allardyce launched an ill-fated £9.5million bid for back in July.

Having won three Ukrainian Footballer of the Year awards and the last two Ukrainian Premier League Footballer of the Year awards, the Dnipro star is considered by many to be one of the biggest talents outside of Europe’s leading top flights.

Furthermore, although West Ham failed to secure his services during the summer, they may have considerably better luck this January with the Ukrainian international, who first drew wide attention after netting a stunner against England at Wembley in 2012, entering the final six months of his contract.

The East Londoners will have to act quickly however; reports in December claimed negotiations over a pre-contract deal with Inter Milan have been ongoing for some time.

FABIAN DELPH

If we’re talking the Premier League’s best value-for-money bargain of the January window, it’s hard to look past Aston Villa star Fabian Delph.

It’s been a huge twelve months for the Midlands midfielder, earning the Villain of the Year award at the end of last season and more recently a spot in Roy Hodgson’s England squad, with three caps since his September debut.

Both achievements are a direct result of the 25 year-old’s energetic style of play, boasting a unique blend of industriousness, mobility and guile – epitomised best by the above goal against Chelsea last season.

Villa desperately want to keep hold of the Three Lions hotshot and Paul Lambert has issued a clear hands-off warning in regards to Delph and team-mate Ron Vlaar. But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and Delph recently refusing improved terms on his current deal, the Midlands outfit will have little choice if approached with a respectable offer.

According to Mirror Football however, Liverpool are already preparing a £7.5million bid.

VEDRAN CORLUKA

With Winston Reid’s contract situation still waiting upon resolution, the issue of West Ham’s long-term defensive depth is creeping higher up Sam Allardyce’s agenda.

Plenty of defenders have been linked with an Upton Park move as a result, but one that particularly stands out, in terms of value-for-money, is Lokomotiv Moscow’s Vedran Corluka – available for just £4million this month according to The Daily Mail.

That name will sound familiar for good reason; the 28 year-old has already represented Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the English top flight, totalling 119 Premier League appearances before moving to Russia in summer 2012.

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The 80-cap Croatia international boasts the 6 foot 4 stature of a towering centre-half, but also the quality on the ball, the pace and the anticipation to operate at right-back when required.

There appears to be some strong competition for his signature however; the Daily Mail also link Aston Villa and Leicester City.

DANNY INGS

West Ham are hardly short of firepower this season, with Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho all boasting healthy goal-returns, but the opportunity to sign an in-form Englishman at a discounted rate is just too good to ignore for the East London club.

Of course, I’m referring to Burnley’s Danny Ings; after initially struggling to adapt to the top flight, the 22 year-old is now amid a run of six goals and three assists in his last 13 Premier League appearances and that superfluous form has propelled the Turf Moor outfit up the league table.

Burnley understandably don’t want to sell and manager Sean Dyche has claimed he’ll only be forced to for silly money – as reported by the Daily Mail.

But with the England U21’s contract expiring at the end of the season and Burnley hardly famed for their financial strength, they will have to consider decent offers. The Telegraph claim Spurs are willing to pay around £7million, which West Ham could feasibly match.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, who is a target for both Arsenal and Manchester United, has revealed he is open to leaving the Bundesliga, Daily Star reports.

Hummels has been heavily linked with a move away from the Westfalenstadion since last summer, and may finally make a switch after a poor season with Dortmund.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Manchester United transfer news

BVB have struggled near the relegation zone for much of the campaign, and the Germany international’s future at the club has been in doubt.

Two clubs keen on the centre-back are Premier League duo Arsenal and Man United, with both teams looking to add a world-class defender into their respective squads.

And now they’ve been boosted by Hummels admitting that he is considering a move aboard, which could see a summer bidding war between the two English clubs for his services.

“Some days I think I would definitely like to move abroad but then, other days, I think I don’t fancy it at all,” he said.

“Basically I think moving abroad would be good for my professional and personal well-being. Eventually, I’d like to leave the Bundesliga.

“I have had many conversations with the leaders of Dortmund, where I know I am a big part of the team, but I am yet to make a decision about my future.

“I’m being open about this because I’m not a fan of those who claim they are staying but, behind the scenes, have actually secretly agreed a transfer away from their current club.

“I will do what is best for my career and what I would like to do. Everyone knows how much I love it at Dortmund but I also want to make sure I’m part of a strong team with powerful players.

“Whether we are in the Champions League, the Europa League or have no European football at all, it will play no part in my decision-making.”

Hummels joined Dortmund from Bayern Munich on a loan deal in 2008, but made a permanent move a year later after a successful first season.

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Having defeated Crystal Palace six times in their last six attempts, tonight’s Premier League fixture was expected to be a Manchester City whitewash, springboarding them back into the division’s title race.

Premier League football has a knack of throwing up an absolute classic when you least expect it however and tonight was certainly one of those occasions – the Eagles trumping the reigning champions to claim an impressive 2-1 win.

And just in case you missed the action, we at Football Fancast have been kind enough to outline the three biggest talking points for you. Enjoy!

Who needs the ball when you’re this good without it?

We’ve seen some back-to-the-wall jobs before in the Premier League – Fulham’s win against Manchester United at Old Trafford last season particularly coming to mind – but tonight’s affair has to be right up there.

Palace finished the match with just 26% possession, taking only five chances at goal compared to Manchester City’s 22. The visitors had over 800 touches of the ball – including 53 in Palace’s penalty area.

But this side is clearly set up for double-banked defending, counter-attacks and set pieces and that’s exactly what they did against Manchester City. As you can see from the heatmaps below, the visitors claimed far superior territory throughout the ninety minutes:

But Palace took the chances that came their way; firstly, a Glenn Murray rebound; and secondly, a Jason Puncheon free-kick with a little bit of help from the top of the City wall.

The ever-under-appreciated Glenn Murray

Let’s move on to the indisputable hero of the hour – Crystal Palace’s industrious poacher Glenn Murray.

He was largely forgotten about under prior regimes at Selhurst Park, sidelined with a serious long-term injury under Ian Holloway, a seemingly poor fit for Tony Pulis’ direct style and sent out on loan to Reading by Neil Warnock.

He’s found a new lease of life under Alan Pardew, however, tonight netting his fifth goal in five Premier League appearances just hours after the Daily Mail revealed him to be the deadliest striker in the division in terms of goals-per-minute.

It wasn’t just Murray’s goal, however. His hold-up play and work-rate was absolutely superb, demonstrated best by him winning 10 aerial duels and seven fouls – the highest returns of any player on either side. Twitter were particularly impressed with his performance:

Manuel Pellegrini might not last the season at this rate

Having plummeted out of the Champions League to Barcelona after daring to play 4-4-2 against the greatest possession side in world football, few anticipate Manuel Pellegrini to be at Manchester City next season. The owners don’t like failure, and he’s set to end the campaign without a trophy.

At this rate however, the hapless Chilean might not even last until the summer. 4-4-2 once again proved a naive strategy away from home as Palace continually plagued City on the counter-attack and the exclusions of Samir Nasri and James Milner from the starting line-up were particularly bizarre.

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Needless to say, City fans on Twitter weren’t particularly impressed:

Having now lost three away fixtures in a row, if City get embarrassed in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford next weekend, Pellegrini might find himself handed a P45 sooner than expected.

With only a handful of games left of the current campaign Arsenal look certain to make top four once again and may even have shown an improvement on last season by finishing as high as second. The Gunners may have been dumped out of the Champions League quicker than they would have hoped but it has still been a very successful year.

And if they retain the FA Cup then that will be the cherry on top of their season. Of course they still must overcome Reading this weekend, however, considering that the Royals are in the Championship whilst Arsenal have been in superb form winning all of their last eight league fixtures you can see how the odds are stacked greatly in their favour.

Reading beat Bradford City 3-0 in the previous round – although they needed a replay – to reach this far in the competition but their league form has been shocking. They sit eight points above the relegation zone and notched up their last win over a month ago.

In the other semi-final areAston Villa and top four contenders Liverpool. In their two league meetings this season the Villans won at Anfield but lost 2-0 when the Reds came to their neck of the woods. Villa have greatly improved under manager Tim Sherwood but you’d still expect Liverpool to clinch it on the day. That would set up an exciting final between Arsenal and Liverpool which is surely the match most neutrals would like to see.

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A lot has been said about how as it is Steven Gerrard’s final season with Liverpool after 17-years of loyal service that to win the cup would be the perfect send-off but sentiment aside I still think Arsenal should take the prize.

When the two English giants met in late December they couldn’t be separated but only two weeks ago Arsenal thrashed the Reds 4-1 so the Gunners should be full of confidence if they do indeed both make the final.

Also where Liverpool have had an inconsistent seven or so months Arsenal have steadily won games and thoroughly deserve to be sitting high up the Premier League table. They have suffered six defeats with only Chelsea and Manchester United recording less and Arsene Wenger’s men have a prolific striker putting fear into opposition defence.

The Gunners have incorporated new signing Alexis Sanchez well into their squad proving that not all foreign players need a season to settle into our league. The Chilean has scored 20 times in all competitions, though only one of those were in the FA Cup.

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Even Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil who have both come under some heavy criticism have turned things around and are truly vital team members. If they all play at their best then sadly Reading have no chance of progressing and then only Liverpool will stand in their way.

Arsenal supporters will never be completely happy until they win the domestic title again but claiming their second trophy in as many years will surely buy Arsene Wenger some time. And with this high quality squad that the Frenchman has finally assembled it will only be a matter of time before the Gunners take home the main prize.

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At the start of the 2014-15 campaign, it seemed like Louis van Gaal had all the pieces necessary to complete the big picture: winning the Premier League.There was the pricey new Real Madrid sensation, the two-time UEFA Europa League champion on loan from Monaco and of course the reliable club captain, England born and bred.As the season progressed, however, it became clear that these pieces were not fitting together as planned. The expensive sensation failed to prove his worth, the loaner flopped miserably and the captain couldn’t quite pick up the slack all on his own.

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Now, van Gaal is shopping for a new attacker before next season. United goalkeeper David De Gea is headed over to Real Madrid, and van Gaal has expressed interest in Los Blancos striker Karim Benzema. While a direct trade isn’t likely, Real Madrid have made it clear they’re looking to offload the Frenchman, and van Gaal stands a chance of landing him.Could Benzema be the missing piece to Manchester United’s puzzle?

The centre forward certainly knows how to do the one thing the Red Devils couldn’t do this entire season: score. Benzema notched 22 goals and 15 assists for the Spanish side, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo. He averaged 165 minutes per goal, outperforming teammate Gareth Bale (237 minutes per goal).

Benzema is the perfect candidate to replace Radamel Falcao in United’s front line. The Frenchman has far better possession skills than Falcao, who often loses control of the ball. Benzema is also a deadly counter attack threat, as is Wayne Rooney. Paired together, the two would undoubtedly elevate United’s transition football.

Throughout the season, van Gaal rarely diverged from his trusted 4-3-3 formation, with mixed results. Many fans clamored for him to adapt a 4-2-3-1, so that Rooney, Juan Mata and Falcao could all play the more central roles they were used to. Benzema regularly played in a 4-2-3-1 under Carlo Ancelotti in Madrid, and could help Manchester United utilise the formation effectively as well.

A transfer would also reunite Benzema with former teammate Angel Di Maria, and possibly jolt the Argentinian back into the form he lacked all season. Overall, Benzema would play quite well with anyone in Manchester United’s attacking force.

It’s just a matter of finding the perfect fit.

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Manchester United are “front runners” in the race for Barcelona’s Pedro, according to European football expert Andy Brassell.

The Spaniard only signed a new contract at the Nou Camp a few months ago, but it has emerged in recent weeks that he could leave the club if an interested party offers a release clause-triggering £22m.

This has led to links with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, but United have entered the battle of late with Louis van Gaal eager to add proven quality to his Red Devils squad.

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And Brassell has told talkSPORT that the North West club are leading the race for the 27-year-old attacker, who has won just about every prize on offer to him at club and international level, including La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup:

“Manchester United are the front runners to sign Pedro,

“He would move for around £22m. Pedro signed a new contract which substantially brought down his release clause. It was around €150m before.”

Brassell also believes that the deal makes a great deal of sense for the player and the club, with United not necessarily in need of an orthodox centre-forward given their current options and system:

“It makes a lot of sense for him to move to Manchester United with the sort of football Louis van Gaal wants to play.

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“You could have Pedro on the right and Memphis Depay on the left.

“United have been linked with a lot of strikers but, given that Rooney is going to start and Hernandez is on the bench, there is not a lot of point buying another striker.

“They don’t need someone to play with Rooney because that’s not how Van Gaal plays. They need people to play in a 4-3-3 formation.”

There’s nothing you can say about Arsenal that hasn’t already been said, and nothing you can prescribe that hasn’t already been prescribed.

Arsene Wenger has played to the same formula for years, and when it comes to the Gunners’ performance, where they fall short can be traced back to the same old areas as before.

This season, though a new dimension looks to have been added to the Gunners’ woes, their startlingly bad away form is really just another manifestation of an old lack of fight and robustness. It’s something we see season after season in other forms, but this year, it’s surfaced in away games and left Arsene Wenger’s side in fifth again.

All is not lost, of course. Arsenal are through to an EFL Cup semi-final as well as the knockout stages of the Europa League, and winning both competitions could serve as a springboard for future success in the same way that Manchester United’s capture of both trophies last season seemed to herald a new dawn for Jose Mourinho’s side before the Portuguese manager’s negative tactics seemed to blow that chance.

For the Gunners, though, rather than a milestone in the fight back to the top of the premium competitions, where they’ve belonged for so many years, these second tier trophies instead feel like yet another low watermark on the way down. Whereas settling for a top four place was the problem of the decade before this one, will the new year bring confirmation that Arsenal are now the fifth-placed Premier League club who will spend the next few years competing in trophies Arsene Wenger always thought were beneath him?

There is still a chance at the United style fightback, and two shiny new trophies don’t look unobtainable. When you get to the semi-final of a competition you’ve never won before in over 20 years of management in England, you’d like to think that Wenger will finally be up for the League Cup. And when you’re in the second tier competition which yields not just a medal, but an automatic place in the Champions League group stage for next season, you’d also like to think that it means something to the Gunners.

But with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil seemingly heading closer and closer to the exit door – perhaps as soon as next month – and with little chance of replacing players of that quality in the January window at least, you get the feeling that this season is the latest in a long line of write-offs at the Emirates, where Arsenal’s season may well have a different feel, but the same old outcomes.

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That means 2018 will probably not be a year in which Arsene Wenger can sign off as Arsenal manager on the back of a grand old victory to live on through the ages. He may never be able to do that at all, in fact. But instead, he must allow his job to become one of instilling a sense of positivity at the club for the first time in years, and leave Arsenal at some point soon with some genuine hope that the future is bright. The Gunners will likely start 2018 still looking feeling like they’re in decline. They must end it by feeling back where they belong.