Rumour: Arsenal set sights on £17 million deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender

Bender has shined in recent seasons for Bayer Leverkusen

Arsenal are closing in on the £17 million signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender, according to the Metro.

Bender, 24, is seen as the ideal replacement in midfield for the much-maligned Mikel Arteta whose Arsenal career may soon be over after a string of awful performances.

Arteta has been heavily criticised and some in the media believe he cannot hack it as a top four player, and apparently Arsenal would feel a lot more secure with Bender being added to their midfield.

Bender has been linked to Arsenal for quite some timeand with Arsene Wenger apparently being handed £70 million to spend in the upcoming summer transfer window, Bender is seen as a high priority signing.

Arsenal reportedly failed with a bid in the region of £15m last summer, with Leverkusen desperate to keep the player, but reports say a new bid is in the process of being sent to Germany from the north London club.

Apparently there are a host of clubs after Bender’s signature, including Real Madrid and Manchester United, who both have money to burn, but it is believed that the Gunners are in pole position to sign the German international.