Barcelona right-back Dani Alves could be an Arsenal player as soon as January, according to reports emerging from Spain.
Alves has been an integral part of Barcelona's stupendous success over the past few years, and was seen as a vital cog by Pep Guardiola during his tenure as manager.
However, this season, Alves has seen himself fall further down the order, and is far from first choice in the right-back position, with Tito Vilanova preferring Adriano in the Brazilian's position.
With youngster Martin Montoya also making a case for himself, Alves has been left frustrated by the turn of events and could be ready to leave Barcelona, with Arsenal the likely destination, according to AS.
The 29-year-old would be a perfect fit at Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger preferring his fullbacks to be potent while going on the attack, something which Alves no doubt is best at.
With Bacary Sagna's future still hanging in the balance, and the French international reportedly interesting Paris Saint Germain - a club incidentally which Alves has also been linked with in the past - Arsenal could make a bid for the 29-year-old when the transfer window opens in January.
Alves would also be a good influence on youngster Carl Jenkinson, with the England international able to learn from a man who has won almost all the major titles in the club game.
While Tito Vilanova has said he will not allow any of his players to leave in the winter window, it remains to be seen how things pan out if the Brazilian international continues to be left out of the starting XI.
Meanwhile, an important aspect of the January transfer window for Arsenal will be offloading their high-earning, rarely used, players. The likes of Marouane Chamakh, Andrey Arshavin and Sebastian Squillaci are expected to leave the club next month, with the former linked with moves to West Ham and Inter Milan.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has reportedly held talks with Chamakh's agent Pierre Frelot, with Wenger giving the green signal for a loan deal until the end of the season, according to the Daily Telegraph.
However, the La Gazzetta Dello Sport in Italy are reporting Inter are also interested in acquiring the Morccan's services on loan.
Inter are looking for a striker to cover for Diego Milito, if the Argentine gets injured, with the Italians zeroing in on Chamakh as a like-for-like replacement.
Wenger will also be extremely keen on shipping out Arshavin, Squillaci and Johan Djourou, with their high wages causing problems in finalizing any move.