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Draxler and Kaka the latest names on the Arsenal radar

| 01.09.2013

While Tottenham have loaded their official player carrier with the best part of a team of fresh talent this summer, Arsene Wenger is still scanning the shelves of Players R’Us in search of the ideal gift for his increasingly impatient followers.

Every day brings a new harvest of Arsenal transfer rumours, and while the Gunners’ purchasing department has proven singularly useless at turning rumours into reality of late (although Manchester United could give them a run for their money), in the first light of day their hopes and dreams are still capable of generating optimism.

Snagged in this morning’s N5 dreamcatcher are Julian Draxler and Kaka.

Schalke’s Draxler, 19, is an attacking midfielder who scored 10 goals and made his debut for Germany last season. He has been at Schalke since an infant, and the Germans, who signed Kevin-Prince Boateng from AC Milan this week, are said to value him at £40m.

Kaka feels like a less likely Arsenal target, partly because he doesn’t fit the typical Wenger profile of a player with several productive seasons and a potential fat sell-on fee ahead of him, and partly because Real Madrid haven’t shown themselves to be that bothered about moving him on.

The Brazilian, however, dodged attempts by Real Madrid to keep him from talking to the press following their friendly on Thursday in La Coruna to issue a “Get me out of here!” statement, so much also depends on his ability to engineer a departure amidst the Gareth Bale hysteria.

Elsewhere in Arsenal shopping news, the Gunners are apparently happy that the signing of Mathieu Flamini gives them sufficient defensive cover, “particularly,” according to one newspaper, “as Bacary Sagna can operate at centre back or right back.”

The news that Arsenal have turned to plugging holes in the squad with players they already own is unlikely to shorten the Gunners’ price to win the Premier League title (joint at 18/1 with Liverpool and Tottenham).

The next innovation, given Arsenal’s lack of new signings and fondness for long injury lists, may be to have Sagna operate at centre back and right back at the same time.

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Author

Craig Kemp

Craig has written for Ladbrokes since the 2010 World Cup, having previously gained a Media & Sports Journalism degree and contributed to publications including the Racing Post. His main areas of interest are horse racing and UFC, but he is also an avid X Factor gambler and likes nothing more than indulging in a spot of Hip Hop Karaoke.