Arsenal have reportedly been told to fork out £60m if they want to secure the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.
With David Luiz set to follow Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi out of the Emirates exit door this summer, Mikel Arteta is thought to have prioritised a deal for a new centre-back in the upcoming window.
The Gunners have been credited with an interest in Tapsoba in recent weeks, with the 22-year-old becoming a mainstay of the Leverkusen defence in the Bundesliga.
However, Bild reports that the German outfit are not prepared to listen to offers lower than £60m for the centre-back, which could force the Gunners to look elsewhere.
Arsenal have also been linked with moves for Nikola Milenkovic of Fiorentina and Sevilla's Jules Kounde, but the latter is reportedly unlikely to join the club given their lack of European football.
Tapsoba scored two goals in 39 appearances for Leverkusen last season, and his contract at the BayArena does not expire until the summer of 2026.
Ben Knapton
