Arsenal closing in on Mustafi

Arsenal are on the verge of sealing a £28 million deal to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia, according to reports.

Sky Sports are reporting that the Gunners are closing in on landing Germany international Mustafi, as they look to bolster their defensive options ahead of the transfer window closing in two weeks’ time.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is known to be in the market for a central defender, with reported interest in Jonny Evans of West Bromwich Albion and FC Barcelona’s Jeremy Mathieu.

But it now seems that Mustafi is the man that will be heading to the Emirates in order to ease the pressure of the Gunners’ defensive injury crisis which has seen both Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista ruled out with long term injuries.

And Arsenal’s defensive frailty was exposed in their opening Premier League game of the season, which saw Arsene Wenger’s men beaten 4-3 at home to Liverpool.

Mustafi -- who was on Everton’s books earlier in his career, although he only played one senior game for the Toffees -- was part of Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning squad, as well as taking part in the recent UEFA European Championships in France, in which Joachim Lowe’s men reached the semi-finals before losing to the host nation.

Mustafi joined Valencia from Sampdoria two years ago, and has impressed during his time in La Liga.