Arsenal Transfer News: Wenger Closing in on Moves for Defender and Midfielder

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on deals for two players as Arsene Wenger looks to strengthen his team after sealing their place in the Champions League group stages.

As talk over a new striker, following Olivier Giroud's injury, continues to rumble on, Wenger could be set to strengthen his defence and midfield with the double transfer of Toby Alderweireld of Atletico Madrid and Adrien Rabiot of PSG.

Alderweireld has been linked with Arsenal in the past, with the Belgium international's representatives apparently desperate to seal a move away from Atletico, where he has been very much on the fringes.

According to the Daily Express, Arsenal are on the verge of landing the utility – Arsene Wenger's favourite word – defender, having beaten out competition from the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton.

Alderweireld, while not making enough of an impression at Atletico last season, was pretty solid for Belgium in the 2014 World Cup, playing at right-back. The 25-year-old is also equally comfortable at centre-back, and Wenger could be set to make another astute move in the transfer market.

It would be ironic if Alderweireld does move to the Emirates, with the former Ajax defender then basically replacing another former Ajax man in Thomas Vermaelen, who sealed a switch to Barcelona earlier in the summer.

Joining Alderweireld in making a summer switch to the Emirates could be teenager Adrien Rabiot, with Arsenal in pole position to acquire the midfielder's services, according to Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

PSG manager Laurent Blanc admitted Rabiot is likely to move on this summer after rejecting a contract from the French club. With just a year remaining on his contract, the Ligue 1 champions will want to cash-in on the 19-year-old, with the report suggesting Arsenal have made a €15 million bid.

That is an awful lot of money to pay for a teenager who only has one year remaining on his contract, and has made his intentions on leaving PSG clear; so it remains to be seen if a deal will eventually be done.

Also, while Rabiot is undoubtedly talented, Arsenal need a defensive midfielder a lot more than another playmaker, even if the PSG man might be capable of playing in the deep-lying role. A move for a spoiler, like William Carvalho or the Bender brothers should be the more pressing issue, and Wenger will be well aware of that fact as well, even if he might not let that in a public forum.