Mikel Arteta's first signing as Arsenal head coach looks set to be Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa.
According to reports, the Gunners are in advanced talks with the Ligue 1 leaders to bring the Frenchman to north London during the January transfer window.
With Kieran Tierney currently out of action with a dislocated shoulder and Sead Kolasinac picking up a few injury problems this season, Bukayo Saka has been asked to fill in at left-back in recent weeks.
But it's clear that a natural left-back is on Arteta's radar before deadline day.
Kurzawa is out of contract at the Parc des Princes at the end of the season and will be available on a free transfer in the summer should the two parties fail to reach an agreement over a new deal.
However, according to The Athletic, the Gunners are keen to get a deal done this month.
In addition, the report claims Arsenal's head of football Raul Sanllehi has already held talks with the Ligue 1 champions, with the club seeing the prospect of signing the defender without paying a fee as a 'no brainer'.
Of course, Kurzawa is a name very familiar to former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery.
The pair worked together for a couple of seasons in the French capital and the left-back was one of the players to benefit from Emery's appointment in the summer of 2016.
The Spaniard even jumped to the Kurzawa's defence amid criticism from sections of the French media and revealed how the left-back could fulfil his early potential.
"He released his emotion," Emery said in 2017. "He knows that he did not play very well in the last games, that he needed to progress. It is a little emotion to be happy with his performance. I think he also had a good game next to that.
"It was a very warm moment. It's true that we talked about being quiet. Before the game I said to him: trust, quiet, work to improve things, the details. I told him to do better for him, for the team.
"After the game, it was the same message: tranquility. When he doesn't play well, I say quiet and when he’s playing well, it’s to maintain stability he’s to maintain progression.
"He said he was training hard and he came into the game with that mentality.
"A player like Layvin can progress individually and Tuesday's game is good for everyone."
