Tuesday 4 October 2016 20:24, UK
Arsenal head into October’s international break third in the Premier League table after a run of five straight league victories.
However, it hasn't been all plain sailing, Arsenal suffered a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool on the opening day followed by a subsequent goalless draw at Leicester City.
After a slow start to the season, Arsene Wenger was forced into the transfer market, buying German international defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia for £35m, and versatile Spanish attacker Lucas Perez was signed from Deportivo La Coruna for £17m.
Add those purchases to the £30m acquisition of combative Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka and suddenly the Gunners had addressed holes in their squad that had been pinpointed as weaknesses for several years.
The signings certainly coincided with an upturn in the Gunners' fortunes but will Wenger be tempted to dip into the transfer market again in January in a bid to sustain a potential title challenge?
With the help of our friends at Football Whispers, whose unique algorithm tracks the likelihood of deals being done, here are a couple of names who are likely to be linked with a switch to the Gunners...
Current Club: Leicester City
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Winger
Linked By: L'Equipe
Current Football Whispers Rating: 1.0/5
Highest Football Whispers Rating: 4.7/5 (7th June 2016)
Riyad Mahrez enjoyed a phenomenal 2015/16 campaign, helping Leicester City claim an unlikely Premier League title. The Algerian's contribution to the Foxes' fairy tale triumph was recognised by his fellow professionals as he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year.
In the summer, French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Arsenal made a bid in excess of £35m for Mahrez. Chelsea were also linked with a move for the gifted winger, but he put an end to such speculation by signing a new four-year contract with the Premier League champions.
The 25-year-old, who was signed from French second division side Le Havre in 2015 for just £400,000, was outstanding last season, scoring 17 goals and racking up 11 assists as well as completing an average of 3.5 dribbles per game.
This season, Mahrez has already scored three goals, with two coming in the Champions League. His completed dribbles average is down to two per game, which is likely a result of him being earmarked for special attention by opposing coaches, with defenders doubling up to limit his threat.
The Football Whispers Index is giving the likelihood of Mahrez moving to Arsenal a score of 1.0 out of five - down from 1.9 last week. However, even after penning his new Leicester contract, the Index was consistently scoring Mahrez to Arsenal above 3.2 in late-August and early-September.
Current Club: VFL Wolfsburg
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Winger
Linked By: BILD
Current Football Whispers Rating: 1.0/5
Highest Football Whispers Rating: 4.8/5 (14th July 2016)
Wenger is known to hold a long-standing admiration of Wolfsburg attacking midfielder Julian Draxler, dating back to his time as a teenager at Schalke.
Draxler seems to be linked with a move to the Emirates almost every year, and this summer was no different. Especially after the attacker told German newspaper Bild of his desire to leave the Volkswagen Arena following the Wolves' failure to qualify for this season's Champions League.
But, having forked out a reported £30m fee to sign Draxler from Schalke just a year earlier, Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs refused to sell his star man. The rumoured existence of a buyout clause in the German's contract proved to be untrue. However, that may not be enough to deter the Gunners from a January bid for the 23-year-old.
With no goals or assists from six Bundesliga starts this season, Draxler's form has hardly been sparking - although his return of 14 chances created is respectable. His indifferent form will not sway Wenger from his pursuit of the player, as the Arsenal manager is well aware of what Draxler can do given the ideal platform.
But as Wolfsburg are 13th in the Bundesliga table with only one win to their name, Allofs's stance on the attacking midfielder's availability may be softening.
Last season, the creative midfielder helped inspire Wolfsburg to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, scoring three times and registering two assists in seven starts in the competition. Furthermore, his impressive average pass completion rate of 88.5% was the kind of form which has made Wenger, and many others, fans of Draxler's work.
Draxler recently informed Kicker that he fully expects the rumour mill surrounding his future to crank into full gear again when the transfer window re-opens. The Football Whispers Index is currently giving the possibility of Draxler making the switch to Arsenal a score of 1.0 out of five - down from 1.8 last week - but expect that figure to rise as January approaches.
If Draxler or Mahrez were to join the Gunners, they would find themselves competing for a starting place with Theo Walcott.
The England international has enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, having already scored five goals and picking up an assist in seven outings. Furthermore, Walcott is already just two goals and a couple of assists short of his tally for the whole of last season, showcasing a more clinical edge to his game so far this season.
The 27-year-old winger is finally showing signs of developing into the type of player most thought he would become when he joined Arsenal from Southampton as a teenager. It's been a slow progression for Walcott but given his start to the season, perhaps it would be wise of Wenger to revert to type and refrain from spending big on further attacking reinforcements in January.
