Wenger has already made a shopping list for next year when Arsenal are expected to fill in the spots left unfilled after the summer transfer window. Brining in a new defender is a priority considering the issues the Gunners had when facing teams with a strong attacking line. According to Metro, Chris Smalling is a primary target even though he has been with Manchester United for the past 4 years. The 24 year old center back is going into his last year of contract and a new deal might not be offered as Van Gaal is looking to change most of the squad which he inherited from David Moyes and to a large extent Sir Alex Ferguson.

Smalling has made 126 appearances for Manchester but may be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. This is not the first time that the England international is being monitored by Arsenal. It appears that Wenger wanted to bring in the 24 year old back in 2010 when he signed with Manchester United. Currently, Smalling is valued at £10million which is about as much as Arsenal received for selling Vermaelen. Money should not be an issue for the Gunners who still have a big part of their transfer budget unused.

Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go until January. Arsenal will have to handle their defensive problems up until then considering the fact that they risk being knocked out of the Champions League after the group stages.