Arsenal Exposes Secret Interest in 15 Million Pound England Star Killer; Wenger Refuses to Buy Van Nistelrooy Due to Bad Blood
With Robin van Persie suffering a serious injury that threatens to end his season, Nicklas Bendtner also sidelined and expected to be out for several weeks, Croatian striker Eduardo still recovering from injury, and Tomas Rosicky, who just returned, now troubled by a groin issue, Arsenal's attacking lineup is stretched thin as the tough Christmas schedule approaches. Consequently, media speculation has arisen that Arsène Wenger will make a move in the winter transfer window. According to The Mirror, West Ham United striker Carlton Cole has become Wenger's top target for January.
Standing at 1.91 meters tall, born in December 1983, Carlton Cole is in his prime and has shown significant improvement under the guidance of West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola. He is among the players highly tipped for inclusion in England's squad for the South Africa World Cup. The Mirror believes that Cole is the most suitable candidate to fill the void left by the injuries to van Persie and Bendtner.
Currently injured, Cole is expected to need about four weeks to recover. Although Zola is reluctant to sell his key player, who has scored seven goals in 13 appearances this season, an offer of 15 million pounds from Wenger would be hard for financially struggling West Ham to refuse. If Arsenal were to sign Cole, he would also be eligible to play in the Champions League for the Gunners, making him a more advantageous option compared to Marouane Chamakh.
The Daily Star reports that Barcelona prodigy Bojan Krkic has also entered Arsenal's radar. After the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimović, who has excelled with ten league goals, Bojan's playing time has been severely limited to only five league appearances. This has led to speculation that the young talent may be considering a departure from Camp Nou.
It is reported that Arsenal is prepared to bid 8 million pounds for Bojan. Compared to other forwards like Balotelli, Edin Džeko, and Chamakh, Bojan represents a more attractive price point. However, it remains questionable whether Barcelona would be willing to sell another promising star to Arsenal, preferring instead a loan deal.
Meanwhile, Wenger has ruled out the possibility of signing Ruud van Nistelrooy in the winter due to past tensions between the Dutch striker and former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell during van Nistelrooy’s time at Manchester United: "Considering our past relationship, I really think it would be best not to start anything."
Wenger admitted that if the team's injury situation does not improve, he will have no choice but to make a purchase in January: "It's only early December, but if things remain the same in January, we will take action." However, Wenger also acknowledged the difficulty in finding suitable players: "It's very hard to find a world-class player who hasn't played in European competitions and is available for acquisition."
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