Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is finally ready to pull that defensive-midfield-signing trigger and sign Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla in the January transfer window.
Krychowiak has been linked with Arsenal for over a year now, and Wenger was close to completing a move for the Poland international last January, before deciding against triggering the release clause, thought to be around the £21million mark.
The defensive midfielder signed a new deal with Sevilla recently, and his release clause is now thought to be over the £30m mark.
However, that has not put off Arsenal, with Wenger, knowing the vast richest available owing to the upcoming new TV deal, keen on triggering the buyout clause of the 25-year-old when the transfer window reopens in January.
Krychowiak will add strength to the Arsenal midfield, seriously under-resourced at the moment, following injuries to the likes of Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere.
With Mathieu Flamini struggling to cope with the non-stop nature of the Premier League, especially during the festive period, Wenger knows the importance of strengthening the defensive midfield department. And the manager has zeroed in on Krychowiak as the man to add quality and strength, with Arsenal ready to pay as much as £33m, according to The Sun.
Recent reports have also suggested Arsenal are close to completing a move for Mohamed Elneny, while the likes of Ruben Neves, Danilo Pereira, William Carvalho and Victor Wanyama are also thought to be on Wenger's radar.
Which player comes in January – if anybody does that is – will probably be reliant more on availability than anything else, with most clubs reluctant to let one of their main players go midseason.
Wanyama, for instance, looks like a no-deal, with Southampton extremely unlikely to sanction a deal in January. Neves, Danilo or Carvalho, though, could be possibilities, and so could Elneny and Krychowiak, provided Arsenal make the right bid and Wenger turns on the negotiating charm.
