Oh January, the transfer window that always seems to throw up late additions.

We’re now closing in on the deadline, and although signings have been, shall we say, small scale so far for Arsenal, there is time on the clock and potential for ‘the big one’.

Last year brought… Kim Kallstrom, but Gunners fans everywhere will be hoping for special arrivals to kick-start their top four quest, and here is how we think the club’s XI could look in February in a dream scenario…

Petr Cech

An unlikely one, admittedly, but a move for Cech would be a dream one for many Gunners fans. The Czech Republic international has been linked with a stunning move across London from Chelsea to Arsenal, and although a summer deal looks more likely, even the faintest glimmer of a swoop before the window closes is music to fans at the Emirates Stadium’s ears. With Wojciech Szczesny not exactly flavour of the month at the club, Cech’s experience would be a massive benefit.

Mathieu Debuchy

Injured and shifted to the centre of defence for much of this season, Arsenal haven’t really seen the best of Debuchy in his natural role this term. The Frenchman is an exciting attacking force and a solid influence heading towards his own goal, and Arsene Wenger is likely to relish the chance of getting him into just that position for the remainder of the season.

Gabriel Paulista

The Villarreal man’s arrival looks nailed on, with Arsenal and the Spanish club having all but sealed the deal. The Brazilian centre-back will be a welcome addition to the Gunners’ squad, with the sale of Thomas Vermaelen over the summer having exposed a real lack of depth at the heart of Wenger’s rearguard. With Per Metrtesacker’s mobility an issue against some of the Premier League’s more nimble attackers, Paulista could play a big role for the Gunners.

Laurent Koscielny

Very much a fans’ favourite nowadays, the French centre-back is a vital player at the Emirates Stadium.

Classy on the ball, solid at the back and increasingly influential around the club, keeping ‘Kos’ fit for the remainder of the season could be vital in Arsenal’s top four hopes. Wenger will surely look to get as many minutes as possible from the ex-Lorient man over the coming months.

Kieran Gibbs

Arsenal’s top left-back when fit and firing, Gibbs is a useful tool going forward for the Gunners.

Not always the most reliable of players defensively, Wenger does appreciate the skills of Gibbs, whose deficiencies could well be masked by some better play at the heart of the defence and greater support from the winger in front of him through any 90 minutes.

Asier Illarramendi

‘The new Xabi Alonso’, links between Arsenal and the classy Spanish passer began to surface last week. Good on the ball, adept at both short and long passing and relatively adept at shielding his own back line, the Real Madrid man could be a wise long-term addition for Wenger, who has shown in the past that he loves midfielders of Illarramendi’s skill set.

A summer move is said to be more likely, but the slim prospect of a deal being agreed over the coming week and a bit is exciting for Gunners fans.

Ilkay Gundogan

Another silky ball-playing midfielder to be linked with Arsenal is Dortmund’s Gundogan.

The Germany international has been one of BVB’s star names over the course of the past few years and is now back in action after a lengthy injury lay-off – which ruined his 2013/14 campaign.

Although not the orthodox ’holder’ Arsenal are believed to be in need of, Gundogan offers creativity and goal, which is always of use!

Alexis Sanchez

No Arsenal team will be complete without the Chilean star!

Sanchez has been simply fantastic since his summer arrival from Barcelona, fully justifying the fee of over £30m paid for him and the lengths Wenger went to to keep Liverpool’s interest at bay.

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The all-action attacker has already won games on his own for the Gunners, and can slot in anywhere across the frontline.

Aaron Ramsey

That goal alone against Galatasaray justifies Ramsey over Jack Wilshere for us. The Welshman has also been impressive in terms of passing and creativity over the course of the past few seasons, with his recovery from that horror leg break having been, thankfully, good thus far. Wenger clearly admires his midfield star, whose ability to support the attack, but also track back, important in the Gunners’ fluid way of playing.

Santi Cazorla

Santi has been simply excellent in recent weeks. The Spaniard’s showing in the Manchester City win was breathtaking with his composure from the spot and ability to whip in a mean ball from set-piece situations having been vital in the victory.

Although the pace may not be there, Cazorla’s footballing brain allows him to drift into the right pockets of space, while his neat feat are useful in and around the box.

Edinson Cavani

The rumour that just won’t go away! It seems that every week the Gunners are linked with PSG’s Cavani, who is happy one day, then agitating for a move the next. Recent reports suggest that the summer may be the time to get the silky forward, yet January is known for late shocks and panic buys, so there remains the possibility of a late deal for Cavani.

With the January transfer window now closed, Mauricio Pochettino has six months to decide who does and who doesn’t have a future in his Tottenham squad before the market reopens in July.

Having changed in both management and philosophy this season, Mirror Football claimed the Lilywhites were planning a mid-season clear-out last month, but the only notable departure came in the form of Aaron Lennon, who joined Everton on loan until the end of the campaign.

Resultantly, Spurs are now expected to separate the wheat from the chaff this summer instead, and just in case Pochettino is undecided on a few of his first teamers, here’s FIVE we think he should throw on the scrapheap.

ROBERTO SOLDADO

The most expensive signing in the club’s history, Tottenham desperately need to get some money back on Roberto Soldado before the £27million flop loses all market value.

How much blame can be attached to the Spain international for his wayward form remains open to debate; he always lacked the athletic threat of your generic Premier League striker and of his 81 goals for Valencia, very few were from outside the box, yet Spurs averaged the second-most long-shots per-match of any Premiership side in the two campaigns prior to his summer 2013 arrival.

In other words, Soldado was up against it from the start – but that hardly makes his return of just seven goals in 40 Premier League appearances (four of which have come from the penalty spot) easier for the Lilywhites to swallow.

Now 29 years of age, a shadow of his former La Liga self and unlikely to ever reclaim his first team place from Harry Kane, having started just one Premier League fixture since December, it’s imperative the north Londoners cut their losses on Soldado this summer and get him off the wage bill.

Recent speculation claims Sevilla and Real Sociedad could be prepared to take the misfiring forward off Tottenham’s hands.

PAULINHO

Another prime flop of the summer 2013 transfer window, Paulinho’s never quite grasped the high-intensity nature of the Premier League, despite his broad shoulders and decent return of six goals in 30 league outings for Spurs, as an elusive, passive presence that often drifts in and out of games.

That goal-scoring battle-cruiser of box-to-box delight we all saw at Corinthians has never quite arrived at White Hart Lane, and his role in Brazil’s World Cup campaign, ending with that incredible 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-finals, appears to have knocked the stuffing out of the 26 year-old – his performances this year have dropped to an even lower standard.

It’s not as if Maurico Pochettino hasn’t given the 5 foot 11 midfielder opportunities to impress; he’s issued Paulinho one start and ten substitute appearances this season, in addition to regular outings in the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, in a variety of different roles.

Yet, the Selecao star has struggled to adapt to the Argentine’s high-pressing philosophy, and the fact of the matter is that he’s simply too valuable financially to be wallowing on the bench for every game.

The Evening Standard claimed last month, for example, that Cortinthians, Cruzeiro, Inter Milan and Schalke were all keen on signing Paulinho. If there’s that many clubs interested in the South American, Spurs will almost certainly recover the vast majority of their original £17million investment.

Younes Kaboul

Many were surprised when Mauricio Pochettino offered Younes Kaboul the captain’s armband at the start of the season. Somewhat less surprisingly, it only took a few months for the Spurs gaffer’s faith in the Frenchman to completely evaporate.

Indeed, the 29 year-old centre-back hasn’t started a Premier League fixture since November, and in his absence both Federico Fazio and Eric Dier have proved themselves to be far more dependable partners to Jan Vertonghen.

My criticism of Kaboul is a simple one; he’s a lazy defender, too dependent on his recovery pace to prevent goals, rather than positioning himself properly to nullify attacks before they even start.

Quite clearly, the former Portsmouth star’s Spurs career has run its course, and The Independent even alleged on deadline day that he was on the verge of moving to West Ham in a £2.5million deal.

With just a year left on his contract come the summer, the Lilywhites will likely let the defender leave for a nominal fee.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

By hook or by crook, Tottenham need to find a way of getting Emmanuel Adebayor out of their club.

Not only is the 30 year-old one of the most mercurial strikers in the Premier League, who has wasted the majority of his career – and his world-class potential – arguing with team-mates, managers and fans, but he’s also on an incredible £100k per-week according to The Telegraph.

A hardly justifiable salary, considering the Togo international has scored a rather unspectacular 18 goals in his last 55 Premier League appearances and is famed for his work-shy attitude.

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Many were shocked when Daniel Levy blocked Adebayor’s January deadline day move to West Ham at the final hour, but Spurs will almost certainly offload the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker in the summer.

ANDROS TOWNSEND

Mauricio Pochettino is clearly a fan of Andros Townsend and the winger’s form when called upon in the Premier League this year has been decent if rather unspectacular.

Yet, id’ much prefer to see the 23 year-old moved on this summer and now-Everton loanee Aaron Lennon reinstated within the Tottenham squad instead.

Not only has Lennon spent over a decade at White Hart Lane, but his pace, defensive contribution and versatility can be huge assets to any Premier League club when used in the right way.

Townsend, on the other hand, will always be a rather temperamental character – sometimes he looks like the best player on the pitch, other days he seems under-qualified to even represent Tottenham’s reserves.

His potential is well-known however – I’m sure we all remember those excellent QPR performances and that stunning goal for England against Montenegro – so the Lilywhites could likely attract a decent fee for the home-grown starlet.

QPR, Southampton and West Brom are all known to hold an interest in the pacey wide-man.

As the season draws to a close for West Ham, something that has been seemingly happening slowly since about January, knowing who will be in charge at The Hammers next term is still a mystery.

For every passing week that Sam Allardyce’s future is not confirmed, it looks more and more likely he will be ending his tenure in East London. Although ‘Big Sam’ has enjoyed reasonable success at the Boleyn Ground, the vociferous fans have never taken too kindly to him or his perceived style of play. Every time results have gone awry the terraces have voiced their discontent and since the turn of the year results have been poor to say the least.

If Allardyce is to wave arrivederci to West Ham the shortlist for his place in the dugout will no doubt be a long one. However, the man at the top of that list, if reports are to be believed is the Real Sociedad boss David Moyes.

So what are the former Everton and Manchester United boss’ credentials and is he a positive step for The Hammers?

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Until his acrimonious departure, Moyes always enjoyed a good relationship with the Everton fans, something that Allardyce can only dream of. There is no doubt about it, Upton park has never given their current manager a chance and a change may be the best thing to create a genuinely positive atmosphere around the club in their final campaign before their move to the Olympic Stadium.

Although Messrs Sullivan and Gold are always willing to open their chequebook, as shown by their summer spending; Moyes has consistently over a number of years shown that he has the propensity to succeed under measures of financial austerity. He also seems to have that special knack of being able to milk every bit of talent out of even the most mediocre of players.

The main thing that would oppose the Scot taking the big job at Upton Park is that his style is not dissimilar to the one seen at West Ham presently. Moyes is a pragmatist, he likes his teams to play effective, solid football, he plays the percentages and although Everton enjoyed great success under his stewardship, many fans now enjoy the brand of football they are witnessing under Martinez a great deal more.

If West Ham are sick of the style they have been witnessing under Allardyce, a move for Moyes may not be the most universally rejoiced appointment.  But he is more than a safe pair of hands and although his experience at United was a chastening one he has now had, albeit brief, experience of football at the very highest level. His time on the continent could also have helped to develop him as a coach and a manager and his experiences since his departure from Goodison could mean he is a completely different one this time around.

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Although he is yet to win a major trophy, it should not be forgotten how highly Moyes was rated before his spell at United, six months do not make a bad manager. If he is ready to end his Spanish adventure prematurely, West Ham seem to be the perfect match.

Hopefully West Ham fans will approach his appointment with the positivity it deserves.

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Things have certainly turned around for Manchester United’s new no. 17 since Gary Neville labelled him a player who makes “far too many square passes and takes the easy option”.

Fresh from playing a solid role in his team’s recent 3-1 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, Daley Blind goes down as someone who is rapidly beginning to see his stock rise in the Premier League. The Dutchman simply brings a certain workman like ethos to this current Manchester United side that has scarcely been matched my most of his teammates throughout the 2014/15 campaign.

He may not have arrived with the same high profile status as the likes of Angel Di Maria or Radamel Falcao, he may be seen as more of a contributor to most of United’s moves this season rather than a finisher, and to be perfectly honest, Louis van Gaal may not have even discovered what his best position actually is out on the pitch yet – but the 25-year-old former Ajax man has nevertheless impressed a great deal of his onlookers so far this term.

In light of such a generally positive outlook on the Dutchman, does Daley Blind deserve to go down as the best new signing Manchester United made in the run up to the new season?

In short, the answer to that question could well be yes.

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The Red Devils set their stool out early last summer with a view to greatly improve the squad that had been left so badly hung out to dry under the ill-fated reign of David Moyes at Old Trafford. The United backroom staff clearly tried to emulate what has been traditionally done by the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the last few years, with the desire to bring in several ‘Galacticos’ type signings for immediate effect.

Money was seemingly no object for Manchester United at the beginning of the season – yet as the likes of Di Maria and Falcao have publically failed to do the business this term, with both Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo also not living up to their lofty price tags so far – the somewhat understated £14million transfer of Daley Blind pretty much goes down as the best deal of the bunch.

The versatile Netherlands international largely made a name for himself with his fine displays for Holland in last summer’s 2014 World Cup. The central midfielder – who has also been known to ply his trade at full-back as well as on the wing for his manager this season – provided his team with countless searching balls throughout the whole of the tournament, famously setting up Robin van Persie for that all important header against Spain in the group stages.

Blind has subsequently done whatever has been asked of him from Louis van Gaal this season. He has been almost Roy Keane like with some of his tenacious performances in the middle of the park, has turned his wild energy off the ball into something a great deal more composed when in control of the situation, and has even popped up with a couple of important goals this term to win some hard earned points in the race for Champions League qualification.

Perhaps Ander Herrera also has to go down as a strong contender for best Man United summer signing as well – yet as the Spaniard cost almost double what Daley Blind eventually set the Red Devils back after the World Cup – the former Eredivise Player of the Year nonetheless deserves the accolade on value for money alone.

With certain high profile stars unceremoniously under-performing for Louis van Gaal throughout the course of 2014/15, Blind’s approach to proceedings has been like a refreshing burst of energy in a team of mostly overpaid, and somewhat over-rated, players who just haven’t displayed enough honest hard work this season.

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Daley Blind is therefore worth a great deal of praise at the moment, even if this season could ultimately end up a campaign to forget for the ever-tested Old Trafford faithful.

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It perhaps wasn’t the greatest match the Premier League has ever witnessed, but Everton’s early kick-off with Sunderland this afternoon certainly had its moments. Two, to be precise – a Danny Graham goal and a Jermain Defoe goal – to secure the Black Cats a vital win that could prove just enough to see them avoid relegation.

But it wouldn’t mean anything if we did’t learn from it, so here’s the three things we took from the feisty affair at Goodison Park.

When your luck’s in, it’s in

When Dick Advocaat proclaimed pre-kick-off that Sunderland couldn’t afford to lose today, it became obvious any chance of three points for the Black Cats would have required a significant slice of good fortune.

Well… god, fate, divine intervention, the law of averages – whatever you want to call it – was firmly on their side this afternoon, as the dominant Toffees conceded two goals under the most miraculous of circumstances.

The first came courtesy of Danny Graham, scoring his first goal for Sunderland two and a half years after originally moving to the Stadium of Light. Jordi Gomez launched a shot towards Tim Howard’s far right corner only for it to pass through Graham’s legs and cannon off his instep into the opposite side of the net.

That was followed by Jermain Defoe’s ‘effort’ on the 85th minute mark. A driving shot across goal ricocheted off the shoulder of a blocking Seamus Coleman into the former England international’s chest, then trickling past a helpless Tim Howard.

In a result that has now propelled the Wearsiders to 14th in the Premier League, those fortuitous moments in front of goal may have just spared Sunderland a season in the Championship.

PANTILIMON DESTINED FOR A HIGHER LEVEL

Many were surprised when Costel Pantilimon was drafted in as Sunderland’s No.1 at the start of the season despite Vito Mannone’s continued heroics during the 2013/14 campaign.

But the Romanian international has undoubtedly justified that decision over the last few months with a string of top-notch performances, and today he produced vital displays to keep Sunderland in the match as Everton piled on the pressure.

He made four crucial saves this afternoon and particularly impressed when closing down Toffees front-man Romelu Lukaku. That saw the 28 year-old claim his ninth clean sheet in 26 Premier League outings, leaving him joint-eighth in the division’s shut-out charts – not bad considering Sunderland have won just seven games all season.

Whether or not Sunderland beat the drop come the end of May, in my opinion, the former Manchester City understudy should be testing himself at a higher level next term.

Another disturbing performance from Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku is undoubtedly one of the most promising talents in the Premier League but he just hasn’t shown it since joining Everton permanently for a club-record £28million last summer.

Although 19 goals in all competitions is nothing to be sniffed at for 21-year old still developing his skills, the former Chelsea prodigy is a long way shy of replicating the talismanic displays from his loan spell at Goodison Park last term, and appears completely opposed to putting his physically imposing 6 foot 3 frame to good use.

Scoreless against Sunderland, today’s performance was yet another abject one to add to his ever-increasing collection. Needless to say, Everton fans on Twitter weren’t particularly impressed:

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“It is a very big surprise that Robin van Persie has been allowed to go to Turkey.

“He is a huge loss to English football because he is still a great footballer”

Those are the words of van Persie’s former manager Arsene Wenger, who believes that the English game is losing one of the best and there is definitely a case to say the Frenchman is right.

Van Persie completed his move to Fenerbache last week. However, Sir Alex Ferguson’s glowing assessment of van Persie’s first season in Manchester seems like an awfully long time ago now.

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Ferguson exclaimed that van Persie’s superb hat-trick and volley against Villa from Wayne Rooney’s raking fifty yard pass was the “goal of the century.”

It was eight months earlier of course, where Ferguson was the driving force behind the deal to take van Persie from Arsenal for £24m, the former United boss was confident that the Dutch striker would be the man to help wrestle the title back from rivals Manchester City.

Having scored 37 goals in 48 games for the Gunners the previous season, the numbers where there to back up Ferguson’s view and he was of course proved right as he smashed 26 league goals and topped the goal scoring charts after a fantastic debut season, where he helped United win their 20th Premier League title.

But in his second season his fortunes declined dramatically. Injuries, loss of form and perhaps even more importantly, the shock retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, clearly hurt the Dutchman.

Something former United play Rio Ferdinand confirmed saying to MUTV: “The person it hit more than anyone was Robin.”

His form dropped as the injuries that have blighted so much of his career returned and van Persie’s return of 18 goals, although still decent, was well short of the 30 goals in all competitions he achieved in his first season.

Van Persie was a shadow of the player United fans enjoyed so much in his first season, and he struggled under the management of Moyes. It was thought by many that the arrival of his national team manager Louis van Gaal – the manager where he enjoyed a great World Cup under, scoring four goals, including that wonderful header against Spain – would get the best out of the former Gunners striker.

But the Dutchman’s decline did not show any sign of stopping, as he continued to struggle. And his fellow countryman gave him no special treatment as he slipped down the Old Trafford pecking order as a result.

Last year he endured his worst season in a decade, scoring just 10 goals for United. However, despite his dramatic decline and so much time spent injured, van Persie does deserve to be remembered as one of the best ever Premier League strikers.

Not the most decorated, with the one Premier League title and am FA Cup to his name, but at his best he combined an elegant graceful style with impeccable poise, touch and control all topped off with lethal finishing ability.

His injuries held him back and he only achieved two seasons where he played over thirty times. Nevertheless, he still managed an impressive 144 league goals in 280 league games for the Red Devils and the Gunners combined, giving the Dutchman a 0.51 strike rate – a figure only bettered by Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright.

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Indeed it was no coincidence that his best two seasons coincided with the two seasons where he went injury free. He scored 67 goals during those two campaigns.

The highlights the devastating affect a fit van Persie can have and, while there is an element of ‘what if’ about van Persie’s time in England, he should be best remembered for his outstanding 2012/13 season where he took United to a 20th title.

That’s why he should be remembered as one of the best Premier League strikers of all time.

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While it seems impossible to create a successful Premier League side without pace and power these days, sometimes the focus on physicality creates an imbalance. That’s been the ultimate problem in West Ham’s midfield over the last few seasons; Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate offer fantastic dynamism and strength, but they struggle to see the bigger picture and can be sloppy in possession.

Although Mark Noble has proved himself a far more economic user of the ball over the years, there’s a defensive and simplistic bias to his passing game too – sideways or backwards, rather than using the ball to cut through opposition lines and bring talents like Manuel Lanzini into play.

In a relegation battle, that may not seem markedly important; Sam Allardyce and many more would argue the kind of defensive solidity Obiang, Kouyate and Noble can provide is far more vital to beating the drop.

But if the Hammers wish to escape the scrap for survival in time to give themselves a chance of making something more from this season, finding a deep-lying playmaker who can link the defence to the attack to bring West Ham’s exciting forward cast into the game is a must for David Moyes this month. With that in mind, it’s little surprise Joe Allen has emerged as one of the leading candidates.

‘Welsh Xavi’, courtesy of Brendan Rodgers, inevitably created a comparison the midfielder could never live up to at Liverpool, and as we often unfortunately do to young players in English football, Allen became something of a running joke during his first few seasons at Anfield.

But by the end of his tenure, his once-passive passing game was rightly judged as something far more technically demanding and intelligent, and since joining Stoke City it’s been combined with a real aggression off the ball and a desire to impact the game. Playing such a prominent role in a Wales side that regularly exceed expectations under Chris Coleman unquestionably helped too, Allen seemingly realising the level of responsibility he’s capable of taking in a successful team.

That’s what West Ham need more of after a disastrous start to the season – players prepared to take responsibility, but especially on the ball in tight midfield areas. And despite Stoke enduring an equally turbulent campaign as the Hammers, Allen’s individual form has been impressive during the opening half of 2017/18; alongside 2.9 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 dribbles and one created chance per match, he’s provided the joint-most assists of any central midfielder outside the Premier League’s top six, and the same amount as Lanzini.

That extra bit of quality, and the ability to combine with the Irons’ talismanic Argentine, not only in terms of using the ball but also creating space through clever movement, could be what propels the Irons up the Premier League table.

“We can’t afford to lose a player of Joe’s quality – he is working exceptionally hard for us and we are really pleased with what he is producing for us at the moment. We won’t be encouraging any bids for any of our key players, especially not in January, that is for certain.”

The big question though, is whether Stoke would sell to a possible relegation rival midseason. While there has been talk of a potential £15million offer, Mark Hughes has made his opinions on the 40-cap international’s availability perfectly clear. It seems a January switch would require some pushing from the midfielder’s end, but earnest Allen just doesn’t seem the type.

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Although Allen very much feels like the missing link for the Hammers at this moment in time, the east Londoners may inevitably be forced to wait until the summer – or seek mid-season alternatives.

Newcastle United are among a handful of Premier League clubs interested in signing Everton striker Cenk Tosun, according to TEAMtalk.

What’s the story?

Niasse was once a forgotten figure at Goodison Park under former manager Ronald Koeman.

At one point, the Senegal international did not even have a locker at the training ground.

This season, the forward has been given more chances on the pitch, but he has only started five Premier League games.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have joined Crystal Palace, Brighton and West Bromwich Albion in the race to sign the forward.

The report claims that Everton are willing to let Niasse leave due to the recent acquisition of Cenk Tosun from Besiktas.

Could Niasse solve Newcastle’s problems?

Rafael Benitez’s side have been struggling up front this season having netted just 20 goals in 22 league outings this season.

The 85-goal haul in the Championship during the 2016-17 campaign seems a long time ago.

Joselu and Dwight Gayle have failed to find consistency, with the pair netting just three goals each.

Niasse has certainly shown this season that he can be an asset, but he is lacking regular game time, which prevents a risk for the Magpies.

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From Newcastle’s point of view, it would be best for the club to push for a loan rather than a permanent deal, particularly as the North-East outfit are not expected to have a big budget.

It would also give Benitez time to assess whether or not Niasse is worth a long-term role at Newcastle.

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According to The Mirror, West Ham United are interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin during the January transfer window.

Coquelin, 26, was not included in the Arsenal squad for Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest amid suggestions that the Frenchman was close to leaving the club.

A number of Ligue 1 clubs are said to be interested in the defensive midfielder, but West Ham are now strongly being linked with a move.

Coquelin, who is valued at £10.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has made over 100 Premier League appearances for Arsenal since breaking into the first team, and he appeared on 39 occasions for the Gunners last season.

The former France Under-21 international has struggled to win a regular spot under Arsene Wenger this term, however, and is believed to be on the way out during the winter window.

To suggest that the Arsenal fans welcomed the news would be putting it mildly, with many revealing their delight that Coquelin could soon be seeking pastures new.

Manchester United will attempt to continue their impressive run of form when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils have won their last five matches in all competitions without conceding a single goal, and will be confident of a strong performance against Spurs.

Alexis Sanchez is set to make his Premier League debut for United, whilst the likes of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial should return to the XI following last week’s 4-0 win over Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The United fans are feeling pretty good about themselves at the moment, especially considering that the arrival of Sanchez was followed by head coach Jose Mourinho signing a new long-term contract.

Another victory against Tottenham on Wednesday would consolidate second spot in the Premier League table.

United’s Twitter account looked ahead to the match on Tuesday, and the response section was full of the club’s fans revealing their confidence.

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A selection of the reaction can be seen below:

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