HOT FOOTBALL TRANSFER GOSSIP: Bender, Pogba, Morrison, Musonda, Moreno

Arsenal fans crying out for imminent reinforcements to ease the club’s injury crisis should remember that, in the last 10 years, Arsene Wenger has made a total of just three major signings in the January transfer window. Really, I just counted them: Gabriel, Nacho Monreal and Andre Arshavin. Bit of a mixed bag there. So by law of averages, Gunners fans can expect Wenger to sign one third of a player next month. Presumably the French manager won’t just bring a pair of disembodied footballer’s legs to the Emirates (although Jack Wilshere could probably use those), so in real terms he is likely to make one January signing in the next three years. And according to the Evening Standard, this is the year.

The London paper has drawn up a shortlist of eight potential Gunners targets for the transfer window. It’s not completely clear if these are players the Standard believes Wenger is genuinely interested in, or just ones it has come up with for its own entertainment. It probably doesn’t make much difference either way. The players are all midfielders: Lars Bender, Lucas Biglia, Henri Saivet, Vincent Koziello, Nampalys Mendy, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Adrien Rabiot and William Carvalho. So Arsenal fans can look forward to seeing one third of one of those men turning out in the red-and-white any day now. Exciting times.

Juventus star Paul Pogba has revealed that he “loves Manchester” after dining at a Chinese restaurant in the city, reports the Mail. Realistically this should be taken less as an indication that he will be joining City or United, and more as a sign that he really likes sweet and sour prawns.

Another talented player United let go, with far less embarrassing results so far, is Ravel Morrison, who the Mirror reports already wants to quit his Lazio “nightmare” after less than six months at the club. QPR have expressed an interest in signing their former midfielder in the past, but we’re not sure what Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink would think about that.

Chelsea are desperate to avoid a Pogba-style blunder with their young midfielder Charly Musonda, who is getting agitated about a lack of first-team football at Stamford Bridge. The Telegraph reports that the Blues are facing a “dilemma” over whether to play Musonda or flog him to one of Europe’s top clubs. Surely they can just send him out on loan with those other 33 players?

Finally, the Liverpool Echo reports that Reds left-back Alberto Moreno has played down recent speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid, so you can expect that transfer to go though soon.

@darlingkevin