Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will not break the bank for making any big signings this January transfer window as he looks to tie down five of his biggest players.
Arsenal bosses have identified a number of transfer targets but they will now wait until the next summer transfer window to make any major new signing.
The French manager is now desperate to hold on to Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla.
Star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have only 18 months left on their current contracts and are playing hardball with Wenger.
The North London club Arsenal are feeling the heat as former Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez and German winger Ozil have delayed their expected contract extension this summer.
Arsene Wenger and the club officials are keen on handing out new contacts to both the star players, with negotiations starting almost a year ago.
Sanchez and Ozil want to match the Premier league’s top earners and are demanding more from the North London club.
Arsenal bosses have held talks with Giroud over a new deal but both the parties have failed to reach an agreement over the wage packet and recent reports confirm that the French striker has demanded £20,000-a-week more than what the Gunners are ready to offer.
Coquelin’s current contract at Arsenal expires in June 2019 but he is expecting a pay-rise, while Santi Cazorla’s current contract with the gunners expires in June.
Cazorla, who has turned 32, has been in and out of action due to lengthy injury layoffs. Arsenal have a policy of not holding on to their veteran players for much longer periods but sources claim that the Gunners bosses will offer a one-year extension to the Spanish player.
And now talking about transfer targets – Arsene Wenger has a lot of them.
The top two players in his list are Juventus star Miralem Pjanic, who Wenger wants to rope in as long-term replacement for Santi Cazorla and Torino striker Andrea Belotti.
The Gunners were keen on plotting a bid for Andrea Belotti but the asking price of £50million has now dampened their interest. But the Arsenal bosses believe that the price tag for Belotti will go down in the summer transfer window.
Wenger is also keen on securing the signatures of Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is also under the radar of Serie A club Inter Milan after rejecting a move to Chelsea.