After Arsene Wenger admitted his interest in Edinson Cavani, rumors have been flying around that Arsenal are looking at the possibility of bringing in Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund.
It is extremely rare that Arsenal get linked with players who are generally well beyond Arsenal's price range when it comes to transfers; however, the new Emirates deal and the soon-to-be-signed lucrative kit deal, mean Arsenal are in a much better position to throw away some money at some of the top talents in the world.
The fact that Arsenal are going through a barren spell coupled with increasing pressure from the fans have also played a big role in Wenger looking at the possibility of paying top dollar for a player who will make an immediate impact at the Emirates.
Gotze is a long-term Arsenal target. In fact, Borussia Dortmund turned down an offer somewhere between £20-25 million ($32-40 million) for the youngster a year ago.
The 20-year-old only recently signed a new contract with the German champions, which will keep him at the club until 2016, but it was reported at the end of last year that the player has a clause allowing him to leave for £30 million ($48 million). The bid, though, needs to be made by July, according to terms of the clause.
Wenger admires the talents that the German international brings, and while Dortmund look unlikely to defend their Bundesliga title with Bayern in cruise control, they are still very much in contention for the Champions League.
Therefore, it is unlikely that Dortmund will be willing to let go of their player in January, meaning a summer move looks more likely.
Gotze privately prefers a move to either Barcelona or Arsenal, were he to leave Dortmund, further enhancing the chances of him joining the Gunners sooner rather than later.
Wenger admitted in his press conference Thursday, he had already identified potential summer moves, but pointed out the problems of buying in January.
"All the players who can strengthen us are cup-tied in the Champions League," Wenger said.
"Even if you buy somebody, you have no guarantee that you will be in the top four. We want to be in the top four of course. That's the priority."
The chances are Wenger will bring in a couple of lesser-known players in January, at best, with the likes of Marouane Fellaini, who, it is understood, is a serious target for Wenger, Cavani and Gotze to be bid for in the summer.