Ray Parlour Backs Arsenal to Sign Celtic Defender Virgil van Dijk in January

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged Arsene Wenger to sign Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk when the transfer window opens in January.

The Dutch centre-back has been recently linked with a move to the Premier League, with the Emirates being his next likely destination. The Gunners allowed their former skipper Thomas Vermaelen to join Barcelona earlier in the summer.

Wenger signed Calum Chambers and failed to replace the void left by the departure of the Belgium international.

Arsenal are hit by an injury crisis and they will be without the services of Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny in the back four till either of them returns to full fitness.

The former Gunners midfielder believes Wenger needs to sign more than one defender in the mid-season transfer window.

"Van Dijk would be a good signing. Arsenal look really short at the back. Koscielny is out now for a little while, which is another blow," Parlour told talkSPORT.

"Arsene is just hoping he can get through to January. He's got to go out and buy a couple of defenders. He needs to strengthen if they're going to have a serious run on the Premier League title. You need to have a big squad," Arsenal legend said.

A move for Van Dijk will give Wenger more options while picking the central defenders for the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Wenger admitted the Gunners could have added a new face to his side's back four in the summer. However, the Frenchman has vowed to strengthen Arsenal's defence and confirmed the club will sign a defender in January.

"I agree we could have bought one more player. We didn't find [him]. We will try in December to rectify that because we are a bit short with the injuries we have and, overall, I think we will rectify that on the transfer market in January," Wenger explained.