Midfielders
Adrien Rabiot (PSG)
Rabiot has been with the Ligue 1 side for nearly nine years and made the breakthrough into the first-team in August 2012. Since then, the Frenchman has been pretty much ever-present and has developed into one of Europe’s finest midfielders. Emery knows of Rabiot’s capabilities, having managed him during his time at the Paris club, and a reunion could be on the cards if the Arsenal boss wants it. PSG have offered him a new deal recently which has reportedly been turned down by the player due to his lack of involvement so far this season. The Gunners could make their move and sign a pre-contractual agreement with the France international on January 1st if nothing has been agreed by then with PSG. but Arsenal will face competition from Spurs and Barcelona who are also monitoring his situation with interest.
Juan Mata (Manchester United)
The 30-year-old is one of the Premier League’s best technicians when it comes to creating chances for his teammates. But the Spaniard has had a hard time cementing a starting role in the United team since his arrival to Manchester – even more so since Jose Mourinho took charge. Mourinho sold Mata to United when in charge of Chelsea because he didn’t fit the mould at the time, and the midfielder has been in an out of the side this season. The Spaniard would offer versatility and creativity to the Arsenal side and a challenge to Mesut Ozil in the number 10 role. Reports have linked Mata with a move to Arsenal next summer on a free, but the Gunners could make the deal happen in January if they wanted too. A swap deal between United and Arsenal occurred last January between Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, so anything is possible. Juventus are also credited with interest.
