Arsenal are reportedly looking to hijack Manchester United's move for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman, while holding talks with Bayern Munich defender David Alaba.
United are thought to be the frontrunners for the signature of the 23-year-old Strootman, who is expected to leave the Dutch club in the summer.
However, with David Moyes still settling down at Old Trafford, and looking at the possibility of bringing in Marouane Fellaini from his old club Everton, Arsenal have made the first move to sign the highly-rated Dutch international.
Arsenal are in advanced talks with the player's representatives, after agreeing to match the €20 million (£17 million, $25.5 million) fee demanded by PSV, according to Caughtoffside.com.
Arsene Wenger is definitely in the transfer market for a defensive midfielder, with the likes of Victor Wanyama, Maxime Gonalons and Etienne Capoue heavily linked with a summer move.
While Strootman has been linked with Arsenal in the past, United have always looked like the favorites for the talented player's signature, at least when it has come to clubs in the English Premier League.
Dick Advocaat, who managed PSV last season, recently said Strootman should leave PSV to advance his career and the Premier League is seen as the ideal destination.
While the report is far from conclusive, there is no doubt that Strootman will add that much-needed steel to the Arsenal lineup, and the midfielder is also quite comfortable on the ball, making him ideal for Arsenal.
Capoue, who featured for France in their international friendly against Uruguay on Wednesday, earlier this week, admitted he was looking for a move away from Toulouse in the summer transfer window.
"I feel it is the moment to leave, to play in big competitions," he told L'Equipe.
"Right now, I am with the national team and I continue to represent TFC. We will talk about it again after June 10."
However, it is understood Wenger has identified Gonalons as his preferred candidate for the defensive midfield position, which is also quite OK considering the capabilities of the Lyon player.
Whoever, Wenger goes for, one thing is certain, Arsenal do need a little more of a physical presence in midfield and while Mikel Arteta has done an admiral job in the position a player in the mould of Gonalons, Capoue or indeed Strootman will be more desirable.
Meanwhile, the Gunners could be set to make a shock move for Bayern left-back Alaba, after the club reportedly held talks with the player's representatives over a summer move, according to Sport Bild.
The report in the German newspaper claims Alaba is keen for a role in central midfield, which Arsenal are ready to commit to.
Alaba has been one of the standout performers for Bayern this season, helping them to an unprecedented treble, which also included the Champions League and Bundesliga titles.
With Pep Guardiola set to take over, Bayern are expected to be the dominant force in Europe for the next a few years and therefore it is extremely unlikely that Alaba will want a move away, especially when he is a natural first-choice player in the Bayern lineup.
However, if his desire for a midfield role does turn out to be true and strong enough, then Arsenal might just stand a chance, but considering the Austrian international is only 20-years-old, Bayern will stand firm on not selling one of their best players.
Arsenal will have to make an outrageous offer, which is unlikely to happen, even if Wenger has plenty of cash at his disposal.
