Having sensationally squandered a 3-0 lead against Anderlecht last night, Arsenal are in dire need of bolstering in the New Year.
It's therefore no surprise to read that according to an exclusive in goal.com, the Gunners are "keeping close tabs" on Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Christoph Kramer and have sent scouts to run the rule over the 23-year-old in recent weeks.
Currently in the second season of a two-year loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, Kramer has caught the attention of Arsene Wenger after a string of standout performances in the Bundesliga this season. He's rated at "around £12m" – another reason why the Nutty Professor likes the cut of Kramer's jib – and goal.com claim that "his future is shrouded in doubt" with the tough-tackling defender saying in the past that he does not want to return to Leverkusen.
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Kramer was also a member of the German World Cup squad and started the final before a blow to the head led to his substitution in the first half.
Meanwhile Metro reports that Liverpool and Arsenal are both "on alert" after reports from France intimated that Yohan Cabaye wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain and return to England. The 28-year-old midfielder was linked to the Gunners last season but eventually left Newcastle for the French capital.
But the move appears not to have worked out and Metro says Cabaye is pining for the Premier League. Wenger reportedly holds Cabaye "in high esteem" while Liverpool are monitoring the situation after hearing that PSG boss Laurent Blanc is "willing to let him leave" in the New Year.
Elsewhere and Talksport says that Chelsea are thinking of recalling midfielder Marco van Ginkel from his loan spell at AC Milan. Taking their cue from reports in Italy, Talksport says that the current Premier League leaders are "unhappy at the lack of playing time" that the 21-year-old van Ginkel has been given since he arrived at the San Siro at the start of September.
In total the Dutchman has played just 31 minutes of Serie A football and Italian rag Gazzetta dello Sport says that consequently Jose Mourinho is preparing to bring him back to England in January with a view to loaning him out to a Premier League club for the rest of the season.
Finally, it's a warm welcome to a regular of this august column – Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho. The 22-year-old has been mooted as a Premier League target for months and now the Daily Star is saying that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been given a "boost" in their pursuit of Carvalho with the news that Sporting are "willing to cash in" while his market value remains high.
The Star says the Portuguese club would expect around £28m in return for Carvalho, who has made no secret of his wish to broaden his horizons. "We all have ambitions and I hope one day to play in the best leagues in the world, the English or Spanish," he told the Portuguese Association's magazine last month.
