According to the Telegraph Arsene Wenger is weighing up a large January bid for Southampton holding midfield player Morgan Schneiderlin. There is no indication of how much Wenger is considering bidding for the France International but Arsenal fans can be encouraged that it appears finally he is looking to address some key areas of his injury ravaged squad.
North London rivals Tottenham had a bid of £10 Million turned down in the Summer and it seems that tensions between the two clubs are now strained. The exit of Mauricio Pochettino and Paul Mitchell (head of recruitment) is something that the Saints have taken exception to and it would be very surprising if they enter into any negotiations with Tottenham in the near future.
Arsenal's dealing with Southampton in the past have been amicable and it would not be a shock to see Schneiderlin pulling up at the Emirates in January. Arsenal currently have three former Saints players on their books all have been capped for England at senior level as well. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers have all been incredibly successful signings and the capture of Schneiderlin would only improve the young Arsenal squad that currently resides on red half of North London.
Their is a clear need for defensively minded additions to Wenger's squad in January, at least one world class central defender is needed and that is most definitely where Wenger's main priority will be focused. However, with very limited options in the defensive midfield area it is a position that seriously needs to be addressed.
In Wenger's "golden years" there was always a midfield powerhouse whether it be the likes of Patrick Vieira with Emmanuel Petit or the last real defensive midfield man Gilberto Silva. Silva left the club in 2008 and since his departure many have come and gone failing to measure up to the Brazilian World Cup winner, a return to a strong and physical midfield is what is needed and the signing of Schneiderlin could be a important start in that transformation.