Arsenal considering last-minute Gonzalo Higuain swoop

There's a chance, albeit a very small one, that Napoli could soon be without their top striker.

With Arsenal struggling to land any of their top targets at center forward, Arsene Wenger is apparently considering allowing the Gunners to trigger Gonzalo Higuain's release clause if his current efforts to land one of Paris Saint-Germain's strikers falls to naught.

Wenger is supposedly in Paris for deadline day, first trying to woo former Napoli man Edinson Cavani from PSG, and now working on Zlatan Ibrahimovic after being told that he can't have El Matador. But prying Ibrahimovic away from Paris with so little time left will be a challenge, so a backup plan will be needed given Arsenal's seemingly-desperate need for a striker.

The fit is a logical one to some degree -- Arsenal have long been linked to Higuain, with interest dating back to well before Napoli signed him. While his release clause is huge, Arsenal can certainly afford it with their large sponsorship revenues stacked on top of the EPL's ludicrous TV contract. They'll have to trigger that clause to get him, though, given that the Italian transfer window is shut and Napoli can't replace him. Between triggering the clause and getting enough of a personal contract done to get "deal in progress" paperwork into the Premier League office and FIFA's transfer system, there's probably not enough time left for Arsenal to make their move.

If they don't manage to snag him or another striker on deadline day, though, don't be the least bit surprised if the Gunners move for Higuain early in the January window, because they'll need a striker more than ever by then.