Arsenal transfer news: Wenger to replace Santi Cazorla with Juventus midfielder?

Arsenal are looking at long-term replacements for Santi Cazorla, the one midfielder that makes the team tick. Arsene Wenger is keen to bring in someone capable of replacing the Spain midfielder, with a Juventus man being targeted.

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Cazorla was ruled out for months after undergoing surgery to correct a long-standing Achilles problem, which also bothered him quite a bit last season. The midfielder is a key player for Arsenal, owing to his ability to spray passes from deep midfield, which keeps the flow of the attack going.

Granit Xhaka has come in during the summer and after a bit of a slow start has done well in that role – he is a bit more defensive-minded, though, which opens up the possibility of him playing with Aaron Ramsey – so Wenger does have options in that department, something he did not when Cazorla was injured for a considerable time last season.

With Cazorla's contract expiring in the summer – Arsenal are expected to extend the 32-year-old's stay – Wenger is looking at other options, with Miralem Pjanic being one of those, according to The Sun.

Pjanic only moved to Juventus from Serie A rivals Roma in the summer, so it will be difficult for the Gunners to temp the Italian champions to sell the midfielder so soon. The Bosnian has been successful since making his move to Turin, which means Arsenal will need to shell out some serious cash in order to tempt Juve to sell.

The report suggests Arsenal have made contact with the player's representatives, who have made it known the midfielder is open to a move to the Premier League. Arsenal are reportedly considering a £28million offer.

While a January move looks extremely unlikely, if Arsenal do make their interest into something tangible in the summer, it will be interesting to see what that means to the futures of Cazorla and Jack Wilshere.

Cazorla is likely to be kept at the club in a short-term deal irrespective of whether Wenger brings in another midfielder or not, but Wilshere's future is still up in the air. Only 18 months remain in the England international's contract and while Wenger is a big fan of the 25-year-old, the Arsenal manager will also be mindful of the player's injury record.

Wilshere, though, has proved his fitness at Bournemouth and Wenger does see his best position in a little more advanced role anyway; so even if Pjanic or a similar player comes in – extremely unlikely at this point – there might be room to accommodate everyone.