Arsenal are looking at the possibility of signing Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike in January if the Nigerian international impresses in the coming months.
According to Turkish newspaper Milliyet, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has asked his scouts to monitor the strong and pacey striker and has lined up a £15m bid if does enough to impress the scouts. Emenike was being linked with Chelsea in the last year and half but the blues went after Samuel Eto’o last season and have signed Diego Costa and Loic Remy this season, which pretty much puts them out of the race for Emenike.
With Olivier Giroud sidelined and the others misfiring, Arsene Wenger will want to strengthen in January. And after a poor start to the campaign, it’s imperative he does so. Emenike is a powerful center-forward with all the attributes like physical strength, pace and finishing skills to play in the Premier League. The 27-year old was a key figure in Nigeria’s World Cup run where they made it to the knockout stages.
Emenike has scored a total of 13 goals in 36 appearances for Fenerbahce after re-joining them in 2013 from Spartak Moscow. He will no doubt add quality to the attack line of Arsenal.
Versatile defender set to sign
Another key area of concern for Arsene Wenger is the defensive midfield where both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini have struggled thus far. The Gunners were linked with a move for Sami Khedira in the summer but a move failed to materialize. As a result, Arsene Wenger has identified versatile Marseille defender Stephane Sparagna as a target. Sparagna made his debut in Marseille’s 3-3 draw with Bastia earlier in the season and Wenger has been impressed by the defender’s versatility; he can play as a center back or a holding midfielder, which is exactly what Arsenal need at the moment.
The defender has made 3 appearances so far, but in those games he has a total of 59 minutes. It is also understood that Marseille are unwilling to keep the 19-year old at the club, which could open the door for Arsenal.