Thursday, January 30, 2014

LOOKING FOR LOVE







Arsenal eye former Chelsea forward as Draxler contingency plan

Salomon Kalou is being lined up as an Arsenal target should their Draxler deal fall flat


All signs lead to Arsenal landing a second expensive creative midfielder this season, with Julian Draxler thought to be following in Mesut Ozil’s footsteps before the January transfer window closes.
The transfer of Schalke’s German sensation isn’t thought to be too far away, with the fee of £36m for the player agreed by both clubs. However, the delivery of said figure and in how many instalments is proving a sticking point.
So with spanners still within arm’s reach, ready to be thrown haphazardly towards the Draxler transfer works at a moment’s notice, Arsenal have prepared a backup plan surrounding a far cheaper alternative, should the move for their number one target go awry.
That plan involves Lille’s former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, who Arsene Wenger could pick up for a far cheaper £2.5m should the Draxler deal turn sour.
After a midweek fixture schedule that saw the Emirates mob lose ground in the title race with a 2-2 draw with Southampton, a result that leaves them as 5/1 shots to lift the trophy, Wenger knows new arrivals are vital if he wants to recuperate the deficit in the market.
Kalou, who has been linked with Spurs already this window, is a perfectly suited option. His six seasons of Premier League experience at Stamford Bridge a huge plus point and he’s in good form too, having slotted a team-leading seven goals past assorted opposition goalkeepers in France’s Ligue 1, while laying on a further two more for teammates.
Versatility is yet another positive for the Ivorian, who can play up front leading the line or operate from either flank, a trait that Wenger has been attracted to on more than one occasion in the past.
Whether it’s Draxler or Kalou, expect one of them to be adding their signatures to the dotted lines of Arsenal-headed paper come the end of the transfer window, as Wenger looks to battle a thorn-lace
http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/arsenal-eye-former-chelsea-forward-as-draxler-contingency-plan_185750.html

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