Arsène Wenger has identified central midfield as the area Arsenal will look to improve during the January transfer window.

Wenger already promised at least one signing with central defense likely the priority.

Wenger’s decision to exit the summer transfer window with only five senior defenders in the squad always seemed a risk and it has been exposed by injuries, most seriously to Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy. 

Wenger will be without Jack Wilshere until March because of ankle ligament damage while he continues to miss Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta because of thigh and ankle injuries respectively. With Abou Diaby also unavailable, Wenger was forced into the stop-gap measure of recalling Francis Coquelin from his loan at Charlton Athletic. Arsenal have been linked with a move for Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko.

“If you look at the number of games some players played and the injuries we have with Wilshere, Ramsey and Arteta, we are a bit short at the moment in midfield,” Wenger said, when asked to name where he would look to strengthen his squad in January.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has admitted that English youth is lagging behind Germany.

Speaking to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Scudamore said: "Germany has done a great deal for the development of young players since 2001 and we're still lagging behind."

Scudamore added: "The quote from [Germany coach Joachim] Low that winning the World Cup title was only made possible by the reform of German football and hard work is something we in England have got to remember."

Scudamore maintains that the English top flight is still the most attractive league in Europe.

"We've simply got more clubs who have greater financial potential to compete with the biggest European teams when it comes to buying the best talent," he said.

Neymar has been one of the world's best young footballers for several seasons, but he has doubts if he'll ever reach the level of a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I don’t know if I’ll ever reach the level of Cristiano or Messi," he told Globoesporte.

"They are better than any other player on the planet today. I don’t know if I’ll reach their level but I aim to improve every day. I always want to better myself.

"Everything takes time. I’m growing each day. Coming to Europe has been a great experience. I was happy in Santos, but I wanted a fresh challenge and I hope to keep being happy."

The Guardian has released their list of the Top-100 footballers in the world with Cristiano Ronaldo overtaking Lionel Messi for the top slot.

Bayern Munich has the most representatives on the list with 12, followed by Barcelona (10), while both Real Madrid and Chelsea have nine.

The Premier League has 31 players on the list, up from 29 last year. La Liga has 25 players and the Bundesliga has 15 players.

Spain has 14 players on the list, followed by Germany (11), Brazil (9), Argentina (8), England (6), France (6) and Italy (5). 

Brendan Rodgers said Mario Balotelli's skill-set doesn't suit the high-tempo style Liverpool is hoping to recapture.

Rodgers has recently adopted a 3-4-3 formation designed to give added potency to his side's attack after a poor first four months of the season and has seen displays improve since abandoning the 4-2-3-1 setup he used for much of the campaign.

Asked how Balotelli might fit into the new system, Rodgers said: "I think we've seen that it's not really his game.

"Having worked with Mario during the time he's been here, we've seen that he's a player who better in and around the box, so that level of intensity and pressing isn't a part of his game, but you try to get the best out of the players that you have, and the qualities that they have, so that's something that we'll focus on.

"The most important thing is that he's now available after his ban. That adds another player to our squad, especially with Fabio Borini not being available because of suspension."

José Mourinho rarely changes his lineup for Chelsea, which has caused some players to be frustrated by their lack of playing time.

"I'm very club, club, team, team, club, group [orientated]," the Portuguese said. "I think everybody has to be ready to sacrifice for the team, to give everything for the team, to think about the team, not to be selfish. This is the way I want a team to be.

"I think it is right when you say that players are unhappy or players are frustrated, that they need to be patient. I don't have a secret to keep players happy.

"But the reality is that, to be professional and work at a high level, you don't need to be happy. All of them are professionals.

"The team is more important than themselves, and the club [is].

"Even the ones not playing like [Mark] Schwarzer, who hasn't played a second, but if he has to play tomorrow he would be ready. Why? Because he is very professional and he trains very well.

"We don't have a secret to keep them happy because we don't keep them happy.

"We may have a secret to make them work every day at a high level."

Brendan Rodgers is still lamenting the decision by Alexis Sánchez to go to Arsenal instead of Liverpool in his transfer from Barcelona.

Rodgers identified Alexis as the ideal replacement for Luis Suárez.

Alexis preferred the opportunity to live in London instead of Liverpool.

Rodgers said: "All I know is he's a world class player. He was identified as someone to come in and he would be perfect for us.

"Brilliant player, outstanding quality, even bigger work rate, so we know he'll be a threat at the weekend."

Brendan Rodgers compared the play of Raheem Sterling at striker to Alexis Sánchez, who was a Liverpool target this summer.

“You get different types of striker. He's more of an Alexis Sanchez when he plays as a striker - he's not going to pin the defender. He plays in the spaces and he's got the speed to get in behind,” said Rodgers.

Liverpool saw Alexis as an ideal replacement for Luis Suárez.

“He’s a fantastic player and would have suited us,” said Rodgers at the time. “His profile would have been great but it was not to be and we move on.”

Liverpool will conduct a review on their transfer strategies after their 2014 summer has proved completely ineffective to date.

After Luis Suarez was sold to Barcelona for £75 million, the Reds spent over £100 million on eight new players last summer, including £16m on Mario Balotelli.

Sky Sports News HQ reporter Vinny O’Connor said: "There is talk today that Liverpool are going to have a full review of their transfer procedure; how their committee decides on transfer targets and how they go about bringing them in.

"Liverpool missed out on a big target in Alexis Sanchez last summer. His decision to go to Arsenal was a major hindrance in the club's transfer plans.

"They thought there was a deal to be done there, perhaps as part of the Suarez (deal) or separately, but it added to the list of recent failed signings along with Yevhen Konoplyanka, the Ukranian winger, and Mohamed Salah, who went to Chelsea."

Jeremy Ménez was the odd man out at Paris Saint-Germain, but has had an excellent season for A.C. Milan.

Ménez's deployment as a false nine or Phantom Ménez on the opening day against highly fancied Lazio was interpreted at the time as a stop-gap. But he scored a debut goal and then scored twice against Parma with a brilliant back-heel.

Ménez has eight goals this season, only one goal short of Carlos Tevez at the top of the Capocannoniere (The Serie A Golden Boot) charts. Ménez is averaging one every 85 minutes and has a more impressive conversion rate. He has scored from 22 fewer shots.

"Enough of this story that Ménez is a false nine," Adriano Galliani insisted on Sky Italia. "He's a nine and that's it. Even at PSG he played as a center-forward with Ibra behind as a No.10."

Before entering negotiations with Ménez, Milan sought a reference from Carlo Ancelotti who was formerly his manager at PSG. An €8 million buy from Roma in 2011, he had represented value to PSG, contributing 19 goals and 28 assists in all competitions.

Ménez is a member of the much-hyped '87 generation with Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa, the one that won the Under-17 European Championship in 2004 and he's finally delivering upon his potential.