The other German Arsenal hope to sign during January

Plenty of column inches are currently being dedicated to Arsenal’s rumoured £40m pursuit of Schalke forward Julian Draxler, but there’s a more realistic Bundesliga target Arsene Wenger also has an eye on this month.

The Premier League-leading Gunners travel to Southampton next time out in the top flight and are an attractive price at 9/10 to maintain their place at the head of affairs with a win at St Mary’s.

Arsenal’s backline has been found wanting on occasion in recent seasons, but this term they boast the lowest goals-against tally in the division, with just 19 strikes leaked in their 22 matches so far.

Wojciech Szczesny, Kieran Gibbs, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Bacary Sagna have formed an impressive defensive unit, but the latter of that quintet looks set for a move back to France on a free transfer this summer.

Wenger hopes to soften the blow of Sagna’s probable departure by bringing in Eintracht Frankfurt’s former Germany Under-21 regular Sebastian Jung, who became the first Die Adler player to be called up to the national side since the last century back in November 2012..

The Gunners have young England international Carl Jenkinson on their books as cover for Sagna, but Jung is seen as more of a like-for-like replacement as the 23-year-old has wowed German football watchers with his marauding runs down the right flank for Frankfurt.

Arsenal would prefer to bring the Konigstein native in straight away, so Jung can tailor his game to the demands of the Premier League while Sagna is still at large and slot straight in at the back if the 30-year-old makes his expected departure.

A bid close to the £8m paid to Malaga for substitute left-back Nacho Monreal this time last year should see the Gunners get their man by the end of the January transfer window, while a mega-money move for Draxler looks increasingly likely to not happen until the summer, if at all.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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