Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly locked in a battle to bring Lassana Diarra back to the Premier League.
The 28-year-old joined Lokomotiv Moscow in August following Suleyman Kerimov's decision to strip down his top-earners at Anzhi Makhachkala.
According to The Express, the France international is the subject of a tug of war between the Gunners and their title rivals City.
Diarra, who first arrived in England with Chelsea in 2005, spent a year with the North London side before moving to Portsmouth in 2008.
Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco were reported to be interested in the summer, although the former Real Madrid and Chelsea star is said to be settled in Russia.
