Arsenal transfer rumors, news January 2015: Arsene Wenger looking to reinforce defence

Arsene WengerReuters

If all goes well, William Carvalho will be unveiled as a Gunner, sometime in the near future.

According to reports, Arsene Wenger is desperate to reinforce his midfield, especially to offer more support in front of the defence. For him, that means the defensive midfielder must join his squad, and he no doubt is even more desperate to land Carvalho's services after missing out on the player last summer.

Wenger reportedly had initial talks about bringing the player to the Emirates last summer, however, things were not to be. However, that clearly hasn't meant that Wenger is willing to give up on acquiring the services of the skilled defensive midfielder.

According to some rumors circulating right now, there is a deal reportedly worth around £25 million for the former Sporting Lisbon star.

Some reports claim that Wenger is confident that the Carvalho deal is as good as wrapped up. Carvalho himself has indicated that he is eager to join the English Premier League, and wants to join the Gunners if the details can be ironed out.

"My dream is to play in England. I know some clubs are interested but my agent Jorge is looking after it and I am relaxed," he has said, according to the Daily Mail.

"Now my mission is to work in Sporting and they will be in charge of any transfer and my future. That is very important," Carvalho said in a report from The Daily Mail.

Carvalho is only one of a couple of players that Wenger is eyeing in the January transfer window. Others on the Arsenal radar allegedly include West Ham defender Winston Reid, again as a player who can potentially bolster Wenger's back line. West Ham apparently are willing to let him go, so there are few major barriers to stop Wenger making the signing. Reid will reportedly be offered a four year £60,000 a week deal.

Aside from those two players, the Gunners are also interested in obtaining the services of Virgil van Dijk from Celtic. However, Manchester United are also interested in signing Dijk, and so it will be interesting which of the two will win the race to win the highly rated defender's services.