Arsenal have placed one of England's standout defenders on their shortlist as they look to strengthen at the back this summer.
Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Arsenal have added Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah to that list, with the Gunners hunting a defender in the current window.
No direct talks have taken place between the two clubs so far, according to those same sources. The north Londoners have, however, tested the water through intermediaries.
Leverkusen's board look reluctant to sell. They only signed the England international from Liverpool last summer in a deal worth 30 million pounds, equivalent to 40.6 million dollars.
Quite how much Arsenal might stump up remains unclear, but the gap in valuation could prove a stumbling block. It is the same problem they hit chasing Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
Villa value Konsa at around 60 million pounds. Arsenal had earlier signalled they were prepared to offer barely half that.
Sources told ESPN that Arsenal are expected to ramp up their interest in Konsa, though whether the two sides can meet in the middle is another matter. The interest in Quansah shows the club genuinely scouring the market for alternatives.
Both Quansah and Konsa featured in Thomas Tuchel's England squad that finished third at the World Cup this summer.
Tactical flexibility defines the pair, with each able to play at right-back or centre-back. Quansah racked up 44 appearances in his first season at Leverkusen.