Arsenal have emerged as favourites to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Benders, reports the London Evening Standard.
The Gunners have been left short in midfield following injuries to Mikel Arteta and Francis Coquelin.
The north London side are also exploring the possibility of moving for Grzegorz Krychowiak and William Carvalho, of Sevilla and Sporting respectively, to bolster the midfield, but Bender remains high on the club's wish list.
Bender, 26, has been linked with a move to the Emirates in the past and would provide the necessary defensive protection to the backline.
The Germany international has averaged an impressive 4.9 tackles per league game this season, contributing to a WhoScored rating of 7.86.
For more stats on Lars Bender, click here to view his WhoScored player page
