If Arsenal still want Sami Khedira, now's the time to move for the Germany international, after he took to Instagram to confirm his exit from Real Madrid. That puts the 28-year-old firmly on Arsenal's radar, according to Metro's George Bellshaw.
He also identifies Premier League rivals Manchester United, as well as Bundesliga outfits Bayern Munich and Schalke 04, as suitors.
Khedira's exit gives the Gunners a chance to revisit the idea of adding his power, energy and knack for grabbing vital goals to their engine room. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was reportedly keen last summer, but any potential move for the midfielder eventually broke down due to the player's wage demands, per Metro's Lee Hurley.
The question is, one year on, do the Gunners still need Khedira? Wenger's squad has become more stable in 2015 thanks to greater balance in midfield.
A key figure in that process has been deep-lying French terrier Francis Coquelin. He's done vital destructive work breaking up attacks in front of the back four.
Yet as well as Coquelin has played, Wenger has indicated a willingness to maybe recruit a new midfielder during the upcoming transfer window, per the Mirror's Adrian Kajumba: “Nobody would dispute that his performances have been convincing and that he is ready for a fight, even if somebody comes in.”
Of course, if the new recruit was Khedira, he would likely be best suited playing alongside Coquelin, rather than replacing him. From there, he could use his tremendous box-to-box engine to quickly and regularly transition defence to attack.
Yet one problem is that's where Welsh dynamo Aaron Ramsey is at his best. He's recently been thrust out wide while veteran Spanish pass master Santi Cazorla partners Coquelin in the middle.
But Ramsey is determined to win his place back, per the Mirror's John Cross: “Santi Cazorla is the one in my position. He’s the one who plays alongside Francis Coquelin and tries to get forward. I am trying to get that back."
Ramsey's presence, along with a strong depth of talent in the middle, might encourage Wenger against looking Khedira's way, even for a so-called free transfer. The competition to sign the World Cup winner is intense.
Recently, Marca's Hugo Cerezo indicated Serie A giants Juventus are the favorites. Cerezo even suggested Khedira "is all but set to choose" the Turin club.
Wenger may not need Khedira right now. But few would dispute his Gunners squad could use a more proficient striker.
Arsenal Agree Deal for Porto's Jackson Martinez
Wenger may have already solved his team's woes up front. The Frenchman has reportedly agreed a deal to sign lethal Porto marksman Jackson Martinez once the season ends.
That's according to Portuguese publication Jornal di Noticias (h/t Mirror writer Liam Corless). The reported fee for the hugely prolific 28-year-old is £24.8 million, the player's buyout clause.
However, Sport Witness believes Wenger and the Gunners may settle on a little less:
Any fee for a more competent striker has to be worth paying for an Arsenal squad that's been seriously goal shy in recent matches. Squawka detailed the Gunners' current struggles in front of goal:
Current centre-forward Olivier Giroud usually finds himself the brunt of criticism whenever there's a goal drought in the red half of north London. So it's proved this season, with club legend turned Sky Sports' pundit Thierry Henry suggesting on television Arsenal can't win the Premier League with Giroud leading the line, per MailOnline's Anthony Hay.
That prompted a particularly acid-tongued response from Giroud, who rather accurately dubbed Henry's punditry "dull," during an interview with L'Equipe (h/t MailOnline's Michael Gadd).
But Henry's skills, or lack thereof, in front of the camera aside, it's difficult to dismiss his view that Giroud may not be quite good enough to fire the Gunners to a title.
While the towering Frenchman's link play is superb, he lacks any credible pace. He's also wildly erratic as a finisher, reflected in a run of seven games without a goal.
But is Martinez really an upgrade? Certainly his record suggests he is. The Colombian has fired 28 goals in domestic and UEFA Champions League action this season, per WhoScored.com.
Yet despite the brilliant output, it's tough to accurately pinpoint what makes Jackson so effective.
He's more fleet of foot than Giroud, but certainly isn't the quickest. He's also not dominant in the air, nor particularly blessed with technical quality.
But no matter how he does it, Martinez gets his goals—surely the happiest knack in football.
Giroud is clearly aware of what seems like a strong link between Arsenal and the South American striker. Sport Witness carried these quotes from Giroud from earlier this year: "Recently, there has been a buzz around Jackson Martinez. The coach has said he was good, the player says he would like to come. I learned that before Middlesbrough. It gave me extra motivation. I was very happy to score two goals."
If the latest reports encourage a revival in form from Giroud, Wenger will be very happy. Arsenal need to retain the FA Cup the club claimed last season. A confident Giroud would certainly help.
But looking beyond this season, Wenger may still feel he needs Martinez to inspire a stronger assault on bigger prizes.