With Mikel Arteta’s legs probably not capable of a decent amount of football, Mathieu Flamini simply not capable and Francis Coquelin capable of being sent off at any moment Arsenal could really do with another midfielder.

Coquelin has made the place his own but almost saw red at Crystal Palace last weekend in a game that saw Arteta make his first Premier League appearance since November.

Much of the talk is about a striker, but Arsenal really could do with a midfielder before the window slams shut in just over a week.

So, what about Joao Moutinho? The Portuguese is a key member of the AS Monaco midfield, sitting deep and orchestrating the game. At 28 years old there is still plenty left in his legs and, according to Tuttomercatoweb, the midfielder could force his way out of the French club if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Having lost the first leg of their Champions League qualifier 3-1 to Valencia, that looks like a real possibility.

Moutinho played well at the Emirates Stadium last season as AS Monaco caused an upset to beat Wenger’s side 3-1, and he could be seen as a good solution for the Arsenal midfield.

Some reports are now saying that Arsenal are looking on with interest in case Moutinho does ask to leave the club, but their reliability is incredibly questionable. There may not be much to back this suggestion up, but it is one that makes sense. If Joao Moutinho was unhappy to stay at Monaco it’s hard to think of many reasons why Arsenal wouldn’t go in for him.