Arsenal in talks to sign Layvin Kurzawa from PSG

Arsenal are working on a deal to sign Paris St Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa.The PA news agency understands talks between the Gunners and the Ligue 1 giants have progressed past the initial stages.Arsenal are short on options in defence due to a number of injuries and, if Mikel Arteta is to strengthen his squad during the current transfer window, adding numbers in that area was always going to be a priority.Layvin Kurzawa joined PSG from Monaco in 2015 (Andrew Milligan/PA)Kurzawa, 27, is available on a free transfer in the summer when his contract expires but it is believed Arsenal are keen to do a deal to bring him to the Emirates Stadium this month.Asked about his defensive headaches on Wednesday, Arteta replied: We are playing with full-backs that are not full-backs.They are wingers or central midfielders and could we afford to lose full-backs? No, but we dont have any full-backs.With Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac both injured, Arteta is likely to have to field young winger Bukayo Saka at left-back against Sheffield United on Saturday. Tierney had been a long-standing target for Arsenal and was finally recruited in the summer but his first months in north London have been thwarted by fitness issues.Kurzawa would come in as a challenger to his position, with the France international starting just six league games for PSG so far this season.Arsenals original plans had been for a quiet January window but the need for an additional body at the back appears to have changed their outlook.It remains to be seen if a fee can be agreed between the two sides but it is reported that Arsenals head of football Raul Sanllehi is in charge of the talks.Kurzawa has won three Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France crowns and a trio of Coupe de la Ligue trophies at PSG, having joined from rivals Monaco in 2015.(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
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