Managers' special: Wenger's big plan, Pellegrini in waiting, Mou 'no' to Messi

"At least one" recruit for Wenger

It wouldn't be Black Friday weekend without a calamitous supermarket reference. Arsene Wenger does the honours, insisting signing top-quality players isn't as simple as picking up a solid defensive reinforcement fresh off the shelf.

Still, the Gunners boss has revealed he is targeting "at least one" new face in January, with his midfield and defensive numbers dropping with each passing game.

"In January, we will try to get at least one body in," The Daily Mail reports him as saying. "You have to give us time. We do our job as always. This season we bought five players who are all top quality, so I think we have done really well. We will try to repeat that.

"To buy football players is not to go into a supermarket and just say: 'I want to buy a right-back or a centre-back.' It's to find the right quality. If you go out tomorrow you will see that everybody looks for the same positions. It's not as simple as it looks.

"In January it makes it even more difficult because players are even less available than in June or July. But we will try to be creative and have one or two good ideas."

Given Jack Wilshere is out for three months and Mikel Arteta joins Mesut Ozil on the sidelines for the rest of 2014, Arsenal fans will be hoping for that "creative" edge -- though a no-nonsense centre-back obviously wouldn't go amiss either.

City signings hinge on Europe

As with Wenger, Manuel Pellegrini is also feeling some strain currently. Though the Manchester City manager says he may be tempted to dip a toe into the frenzied waters of the murky market come Jan. 1, the Chilean says the Premier League champions' business hinges on their Champions League status.

Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner against Bayern Munich leaves City with a chance of progress to the knockout stages. But a daunting trip to Rome stands between them and further signings admits Pellegrini.

"It's a thing that maybe we will talk (about) in a few more weeks," the Manchester Evening News reports him as saying. "We are just focused on the Premier League -- focused on the game in Rome.

"If we continue in the Champions League, we will have a lot of things to think about.

Asensio poised for clasico choice

Spanish starlet Marcos Asensio is stuck between a rock and a hard place -- if that's what you can call a millionaire's lifestyle at either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The 18-year-old Mallorca talent is being courted by the Bernabeu giants, though AS reports that Barca have stolen a march on their rivals and are set to land the winger.

The player has reportedly yet to sign a deal put forward by Carlo Ancelotti's side, and despite the transfer ban in place against them, the Blaugrana hope to put on their best puppy-dog eyes and convince the authorities of just one signing.

The fact that it would infuriate their bitter rivals is obviously a tasty slice of good fortune for Barca, though whoever lands Asensio will surely be insufferable for months to come.

Mourinho rules out Messi move

Jose Mourinho has quickly become the transfer market's chief operator at Chelsea, moving swiftly and silently to tie down key players since his return to Stamford Bridge. Though the Portuguese coach may be living out his own fantasy managerial role, he insists that Roman Abramovich's riches will not extend to a 200 million-pound move for Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Transfer Talk brought you rumours yesterday that Messi was being wooed to London by close friend Cesc Fabregas, though Mourinho has shot down those claims with glee: "Obviously it's not true. Obviously it's not true."

That ruins the thrill of the chase somewhat, but at least we now know that Messi is not about to grace the Premier League with his genius. Not yet, anyway.