AC Milan are ready to challenge Arsenal for the signing of defender Jerome Boateng from Bayern Munich, according to Sky in Germany.
The Serie A club are looking for a central defender and are close to signing Simon Kjaer from Sevilla but still have ambitions to add another centre-back to their squad.
Arsenal are also interested in signing Boateng and have already enquired about a transfer fee, loan options and the player's wages.
The 31-year-old, who is predominantly a centre-back but can also play at full-back, wants to leave the Bundesliga club this winter.
Bayern would be ready to let him leave this month for approximately £12.8m (€15m). However, they do not have many fit defenders with Lucas Hernandez set to return later than expected after injury.
How to follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Sky Sports will bring you the very latest news from the January transfer market with the return of three shows.
Start your day with Good Morning Transfers at 9am as our team of reporters bring you the latest news and insight. Transfer Talk then follows at midday delivering analysis of the biggest stories. Then join us at 7pm for the definitive round-up of the day's news with The Transfer Show.
Meanwhile, the Transfer Talk podcast is back with more expert analysis from here and across the continent.
And as well as tuning into Sky Sports News, don't miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.