The Gunners are ready to have another crack at landing Pompey’s Croatian gun.

According to UK tabloid The Sun, Arsenal will attempt to heap more woe upon Portsmouth this month by prising away their star midfielder, Niko Kranjcar.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is eager to add another playmaker to his ranks now that Cesc Fabregas looks likely to be out of action until March at least, having ruptured the medial ligaments of his knee last month.

Interestingly, the man responsible for Captain Fab’s injury, Xabi Alonso, is thought to be Wenger’s first preference, but Liverpool will not sell their in-form Basque star – even though he looked almost certain to leave in the summer.

Another Spaniard on Merseyside, Everton’s Mikel Arteta, was also linked with a move to the Emirates, but Toffees manager David Moyes was quick to stamp out that possibility.

Thus, Wenger has returned to another old target in Kranjcar, a player whom he tried to snap up even before setting his sights on Alonso during the off-season.

The Croatian international is one of several stars tipped to leave Fratton Park this winter as the club seek to solve their financial crisis. Lassana Diarra has already gone to Real Madrid, while Jermain Defoe is on the verge of rejoining Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Kranjcar said last month that he would not abandon Pompey once January rolled around, meaning it will take a pretty attractive offer to lure him to Ashburton Grove.

Source – Mike Maguire, Goal.com