Once again, Arsene Wenger has left his transfer business to be done very late in the transfer window, that is of course if he does sign anyone. But after a comfortable victory over Fenerbahce on Wednesday in the first leg of their Champions League Playoff, the French manager remains confident that the next 10 days will be very busy.
When Le Prof was questioned about his current approach being very much like the one in 2011, when the Gunners signed Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta on the final day, the Arsenal manager disagrees with that comparison.
"At the time it was linked with injuries, we had unexpected long-term injuries and you cannot sit there and do nothing at all," Wenger told the clubs official website.
"If you have unexpected injuries, you have to do something about it. We are not in need of numbers like we were at the time. We have our targets, we will try to achieve that and I am confident we will get there."
As for targets, Arsenal has been linked with half of Europe, but it appears that their interest in Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria is serious.
The Real Madrid duo would not only be two marquee signings for the Gunners, but they would also help sort out some of the Gunners' issues in their final third. They would both bring more pace to Arsenal's attack, creativity and of course, goals.
Since his arrival at the club in 2009, Karim Benzema has hit the back of the net on 56 occasions, in 125 appearances for the Merengues. That would not only be a big boost to Arsenal's attack, who scored 72 goals last season, but it would also take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Olivier Giroud.
Signing Benzema would bring in yet another French player to the club, something Wenger obviously enjoys, but it could also bring some significant chemistry as well. Just imagine Benzema and Giroud playing alongside each other on the club and international stage. One can only imagine that would be a positive for club and country.
Along with Benzema, Wenger is rumored to be interested in bringing in Argentine winger Angel Di Maria.
With the injury of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which could see him sidelined for over six weeks, Arsenal could not only use another creative player with pace, but Di Maria's ability to get into scoring positions would be an additional boost for the Gunners.
Apart from his average of eight goals per season with Madrid, Di Maria's biggest asset would be assists. Whether he is crossing the ball or picking out a teammate with a perfectly measured pass over the opposing defenders, Di Maria's vision would really help Giroud and any other Arsenal players find the back of the net.
In three seasons at the Bernabeu, Di Maria has averaged 18 assists per season. Not only is that impressive, but that is a key statistic that should have Arsenal fans hoping for the 25 year-old to make his way to the Emirates.
Bringing in just Benzema would likely cost the Gunners approximately £40m, which Real Madrid would likely use to put in an offer for Liverpool's Luis Suarez. And after Wenger stated that their was no chance that Arsenal would sign Suarez, it seems like Benzema is now the chosen one by the French manager.
A total bid of £65m may be enough to lure the two creative Real Madrid players to the Emirates, breaking all sorts of transfer records for the North London side. The real question now is whether or not Arsenal's interest is real, and whether or not Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis are ready to break the bank with that apparent war chest of cash they have at their disposal.
