Arsenal transfer news: Gunners to make £25m bid for Chelsea star David Luiz

Arsenal are in the market for a new central defender and according to The Sun their top transfer target is Chelsea’s David Luiz.

Luiz has recently been hampered by a knee injury but is set to return to Chelsea’s first team squad within weeks. Once fully fit the Sun reports that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will launch a £25million bid for the Brazilian defender when the January transfer window opens.

While Arsenal hope to prize away one of their rival’s stars, Luiz is “likely to resist” any move to the Emirates as the 30-year-old wants to “prove himself at Chelsea”.

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Manchester United and Real Madrid are also reported to be interested in the defender following rumours that Luiz had fallen out with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

Another defender on the radar for Wenger is Abdou Diallo of Mainz who The Sun says is also wanted by Arsenal in the January window.

Diallo is a French U-21 defender who signed for Bundesliga side Mainz after a spell at Monaco last season.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that Manchester City are set to join Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

Rated at £40m, Zaha has impressed for Palace this season and is seen by Arsenal as a natural replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

But City, who are reported to also want Sanchez, could scupper the Gunners’ plan to bid for Zaha.

The 25-year-old previously had a spell at Manchester United but returned to Palace after failing to impress at Old Trafford.