Toure To City, Gallas To Anyone, £6million Upson Back To Arsenal As Wenger Rings The Changes

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Following the events at Arsenal this week and the Gunners 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Eastlands Stadium on Saturday, which leaves the North London club 10 points off the pace in the Premier League. Speculation is rife that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will make wholesale changes at the Emirates in January, when the transfer window opens.

French International William Gallas (above) is almost a certainty to leave Arsenal in January after his outburst about rifts and unrest within the corridors of the Emirates Stadium. Gallas has been stripped of the captaincy, suspended by the Premiership club and been told he can leave the Gunners by Wenger, according to reports. With a return to one of the big clubs in France his most likely destination.

Other reports on Sunday have linked Manchester City with a move for Arsenal’s Ivory Coast International Kolo Toure, with City boss Mark Hughes keen to bolster a leaky defence at the Eastlands, despite keeping a clean sheet against the Gunners on Saturday.

Toure the vice-captain at Arsenal would have been favourite to take over from outcast Gallas, but it is understood Wenger has concerns over the defender’s fitness and will opt for Cesc Fabregas instead. Toure has also not been an automatic choice for the North London club this campaign when fit and this lack of backing from Wenger could pave the way for a January move to Man City and end his six-year stay at Arsenal.

With regards to players coming to Arsenal in January, Matthew Upson at West Ham United is said to be a £6million target for Wenger, who sold the player to Birmingham City in 2003 after Upson failed to make the grade with the Gunners after six-years at the club, according to the Sunday Express.

Wenger has always maintained an admiration for Upson, who has forced his way back into the England manager Fabio Capello’s thoughts and put in a superb performance for England in their 2-1 win against Germany in Berlin on Wednesday. So if as expected Gallas departs from Arsenal in January then a move for Upson could materialise as Wenger would need to replace the French International at the Emirates.