Arsenal are believed to be contemplating a number of new signings in January, with Arsene Wenger being urged to significantly strengthen the squad as the Gunners bid for a top four finish. The Emirates club are interested in Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha and Manchester City's Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko. Earlier reports also linked Wenger's side with mega-money moves for Napoli's Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani and Everton's Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

Arsene Wenger
Reuters

Dzeko, who scored the winner in the Premier League champion's late win against Tottenham Hotspur, is believed to be unhappy with his role as an impact sub and wants to start more games. There were reports this summer the 26 year old international would actually leave the Etihad before the start of the season, with Serie A clubs AC Milan and Juventus thought to have been interested in the former Wolfsburg man. However, no concrete offers were made on the £25m-priced forward and he remained in Manchester.

Since then, though, Dzeko has fought his way back into manager Roberto Mancini's first team plans and with five goals in eight appearances in the league, is ahead of Italian striker Mario Balotelli in the club's pecking order. Balotelli, incidentally, is rumoured to be making a switch back to Inter Milan.

Arsenal did recruit two strikers in the summer - Germany's Lukas Podolski and France's Olivier Giroud. However, the former has been used primarily as a wide man (something he is unhappy with) and the latter has still to reproduce the form he showed with French champions Montpellier and adequately fill in for last season's top scorer, Robin van Persie. A move for Dzeko might make sense for Wenger and provide his creative players with the perfect target man to finish moves off.

Edin Dzeko
Reuters

Arsenal have also been linked with Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente and Atletico Madrid's Adrian Lopez.

Palace's Zaha, meanwhile, is one of the hottest properties in English football at the moment. The 20 year old Ivory Coast born winger has been in excellent form with the Championship leaders and has four goals and three assists in 15 league appearances. The youngster has been linked with Liverpool and Tottenham as well but interested clubs have been told a transfer will only happen if bidding starts at £11m+; although that price may now have gone up to £20m.

A potential back-up to Zaha is believed to be QPR's Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt. However, the problem is that the 23 year old is aware of Arsenal's interest but would prefer to stay at Loftus Road for the foreseeable future.

There are also reports Wenger will search for a goalkeeper in January. The club does have three on its books - the Polish duo of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianksi and Italian Vito Mannone. Swansea City's Michel Vorm and Liverpool's Pepe Reina are two names linked with the Gunners.

Is there money for all of these transfers? Well... yes. The Gunners are believed to have a much as £50m in the bank and financial backing has been promised to Wenger, if he deems it necessary to invest. As ever though, the question is - will Wenger use the funds?