ARSENAL are set to battle West Ham for 22million-rated Frankfurt defender Martin Hinteregger in desperate bid to stop shipping goals.
The Gunners are desperate to shore up their defensive ranks in January and are now thought to be looking to the Austrian international.
Hinteregger, 27, checks all the boxes for Arsenal with his ability in defence, to score goals at the other end and play on the left-side of the centre of defence.
The 44-cap Austria star has played in all 12 of Frankfurt’s games this season – including their 3-0 Europa League defeat against Arsenal.
Despite allowing three goals, Gunners officials are thought to be impressed by Hinteregger’s play – particularly after putting in a monster performance in the shock 5-1 Bundesliga win over Bayern Munich.
Arsenal will have another chance to watch Hinteregger up close and personal on November 28 – in the reverse Europa League fixture at the Emirates.
Should they be impressed, they may even attempt to launch a bid in January rather than wait until the summer.
Arsenal have already conceded 15 times in just 11 Premier League games this season – with David Luiz, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi all failing to hit top gear.
But Unai Emery may not have it all his own way, with West Ham long-term admirers of the centre-back, say Football Insider.
Emery is quickly coming under pressure at Arsenal as the results fail to pick up – having now drawn three games in a row.
Jose Mourinho is being tipped to take over the Spaniard – but Emery himself slammed a reporter who quizzed him on the subject.
After another disappointing draw on Wednesday – letting a 1-0 lead slip away to Vitoria in the Europa League – he was asked if he was worried about being sacked.
But the Spaniard seemed utterly unfazed, roaring: “I am the coach.”
And 25million summer signing Kieran Tierney has revealed the entire squad is behind Emery.
