Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has over £20 million to splash out next month.

The Mail on Sunday says Wenger is understood to have a fund of £30m following the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City in the summer and, though the Arsenal manager will not be rushed into panic buys, injuries to Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner have forced him to play Russian Andrei Arshavin as a central striker lately.

With Chelsea drawing again at Birmingham yesterday, Arsenal can move within four points of the league leaders with a game in hand if they can beat Aston Villa at the Emirates today.

And next month, Wenger may have to overcome his reluctance to splash out the £4m Bordeaux want for striker Marouane Chamakh, but he will certainly not pay the £35m Wolfsburg want for Edin Dzeko.