Arsenal hold initial talks to sign 26-year-old Germany international - Reports

Arsenal have held preliminary talks over signing Benjamin Henrichs from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, according to Sky Deutschland journalist Philipp Hinze.

The Gunners are keen to bolster their options at the back this summer, with Ajax center-back Jurrien Timber identified as a top target. Dutch daily De Telegraaf recently reported that Mikel Arteta's side have an agreement in place to sign the Netherlands international for €47 million.

Arsenal are expected to get a deal for Timber across the line shortly. It, meanwhile, appears that they want to make another defensive signing ahead of the 2023-24 season. According to the aforementioned source, Henrichs, 26, has emerged as an option for the English club.

The north London giants could bring in Henrichs as a backup defender. They have even held initial talks over bringing the Germany international to the Emirates. However, convincing Leipzig to sell the right-back won't be an easy task, as they're under no pressure to sell him.

Henrichs initially joined Leipzig on a season-long loan deal from AS Monaco in 2020 and made the move permanent for €15 million the following summer. He has since made 101 appearances across competitions for the Bundesliga club, bagging seven goals and eight assists and helping them win two German Cups.

The German is primarily a right-back, but his versatilty enables him to play in many positions, including left-back and central midfield. It's easy to see why Arteta is interested in Henrichs, as he could play as an inverted full-back in the Arsenal manager's system.

However, it remains to be seen if the Gunners can convince Leipzig to part with Henrichs. The German club have already sold Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined fee of €130 million. They could bag €100 million more from Josko Gvardiol's proposed move to Manchester City.

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Arsenal set to step up Romeo Lavia pursuit

While Arsenal are keen to strengthen their defense, midfield appears to be a bigger priority for them. They recently announced the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea for a deal worth €75 million. The Gunners have also had a €122 million bid reportedly accepted by West Ham United for Declan Rice.

The north London giants are now prepared to step up their interest in Southampton's Romeo Lavia, according to The Times. With Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey seemingly on their way out, they want to bring in a new defensive midfielder. The Belgium international is thus under consideration at the Emirates.

Arteta's side have been tipped to press ahead with their interest in Lavia after finalizing Rice's arrival. It's worth noting that Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are also interested in the Belgian. Southampton want €58.1 million for the teenager.