Arsenal to pursue Mehdi Benatia?

Arsenal have emerged as surprise candidates to land Bayern Munich's Moroccan defender Mehdi Benatia. The 29-year-old has been tipped to leave the Bavarian giants in the summer after he failed to cement a regular role in the club's backline.

Benatia was on the radar of several Premier League clubs before he opted to join Bayern from Roma in 2014.

Since then, the French-born centre-back has had a frustrating spell with manager Pep Guardiola reluctant to offer him with sufficient playing time.

According to The Star, the Gunners are looking into a deal for the Moroccan centre-back after the player revealed his intentions to pursue a fresh challenge at the end of the season.

Italian giants Juventus have also been credited with interest for the talented centre-half.

Benatia has made just 20 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this term.