The rumors surrounding Arsenal's £30 million ($48 million) bid for a mystery player yet to be revealed has thrown up a lot of names. So, just who could this player be, for Arsene Wenger to put in such a large offer?
The amount suggests that it is more likely that the fee will be for a release clause than an opening bid; if that were the case then all signs point to Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund, a long-time Arsenal target.
There were suggestions in every inch of Twitter that Arsene Wenger had travelled to Germany after their match against Chelsea Sunday in a bid to convince Gotze to sign with the club.
Gotze has a release clause of £30 million ($48 million), which will expire this summer; hence Arsenal's haste in trying to seal a deal.
The Dortmund playmaker is undoubtedly one of the brightest talents in Europe at the moment, but there is also a case for the bid being for his teammate Marco Reus, who also reportedly has a release clause of around that amount.
Reus has been in sparkling form for Dortmund since signing for the German champions in the summer. The likelihood of Reus leaving Dortmund after just half a season is slim, leaving the chances of the player joining Arsenal in January next to zero.
So, then could it be Robert Lewandowski, the Dortmund striker who has reportedly already come to a pre-contract agreement with Manchester United to join them in the summer? Lewandowski's contract runs out in 2014, and he has made it clear he will not sign a new one.
Arsenal were one of the clubs reportedly interested, but again the chances of getting a player of his caliber in January is pretty low - which shows the work that Wenger has cut out as he tries to make a couple of marquee signings which will change the course of Arsenal's ever-stumbling season.
There is Lars Bender of Bayer Leverkusen, the defensive midfielder who has been one of the most consistent players in recent years, while a move for Luis Gustavo of Bayern Munich has also been mooted, with the Brazilian unhappy with his playing time - although neither of them would cost £30 million.
If indeed the reports of Wenger being in Germany are true - again needed to be taken with a pinch of salt since it has come from Twitter, albeit from a multitude of tweets - then chances are Arsenal will announce a major signing in January.
Arsenal's transfer fixer Dick Law was also constantly spotted in Germany, both after the January transfer window opened as well as last summer.
So, there is definite interest; the questions now are: who, if and when? Answer to those queries might take a little longer than Arsenal fans would like.
It is understood, Arsenal are going for a major overhaul in their workings behind the scenes before the start of next season; meaning, due to lack of financial constraints, there could be a lot more money spent on transfers.
Therefore, don't be surprised if a Gotze or a Lewandowski or even a David Villa comes to play at the Emirates wearing the home team's shirt; the only problem is, due to the limitations of the January transfer window, it might only happen in the summer!
