Arsenal Transfer News: Wenger Offered Ligue 1 Midfielder, But Faces Battle with Chelsea and Manchester United

Arsenal have been offered Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho, as Arsene Wenger looks at available options to bolster his midfield following problems with injuries this season.

Moutinho is one of the few high-profile names remaining in Monaco, following the exits of their big players last summer, including James Rodriguez to Real Madrid and Radamel Falcao to Manchester United.

The midfielder is reportedly unhappy with the situation at Monaco and is ready to leave as well, and his agent Jorge Mendes has offered his player to several English Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, according to the Daily Express.

If the transfer will happen in January or the summer will depend on if Monaco qualify for the Champions League knockout stage. If the French side manage to go through, then Moutinho is likely to stay until the end of the season, but that could change depending on their result against Zenit St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

Arsenal are thought to be in the transfer market for a midfielder, but not exactly one of Moutinho's mould. What Arsenal require at the moment is a strong, physical defensive midfielder, who will do his job and allow the rest of the ball-hugging, forward-thinking playmakers do their thing.

Moutinho, while being able to play in a deep-lying position, is more of a playmaker rather than a bruiser and spending the £30 million being quoted will make little sense from Arsenal's point of view.

Chelsea also do not exactly require a player like Moutinho, but the fact that Mourinho and Moutinho share the same agent in Mendes will certainly help matters if the Blues manager does decide to go in for a transfer.

Manchester United, though, could certainly use him, to help pull the strings from deep, even if they have Michael Carrick as well as Ander Herrera who can do that.

However, with Jack Wilshere continuing to struggle with injury and Mikel Arteta also an injury absentee, you never know, Wenger might just decide on a move, as unlikely as it might be.

Wenger, though, will definitely look at signing a central defender first in the January transfer window, with Arsenal seriously short in that position at the moment, with Tyrone Mings, Mats Hummels, Winston Reid, Ron Vlaar and Aymeric Laporte some of the names being mentioned.

The priority, after a central defender, is thought to be a defensive midfielder, with someone like Morgan Schneiderlin or William Carvalho making more sense for that position that Moutinho.