Arsenal have reportedly earmarked AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori as a potential transfer target.
Despite failing to make the grade at Chelsea, Tomori has gone from strength to strength at San Siro since first joining the Rossoneri on loan for the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.
Tomori's switch to the Rossoneri was made permanent for £27.2m that same summer, and during his first full season at San Siro, the England international helped Milan win their first Serie A title in 11 years.
From 129 appearances in the famous red and black strip, Tomori has scored six goals and provided one assist, including three goals from 22 matches in all tournaments in the 2023-24 season.
The former Blues youth product has missed Milan's last two games with a hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for the next two months, but according to FootballTransfers, Arsenal are keen to bring him back to London despite his layoff.
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Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is believed to have personally identified Tomori as an ideal addition to his rearguard ranks, although Arsenal's interest is yet to advance beyond the monitoring stage.
Bayern Munich are also rumoured to be keeping close tabs on the 26-year-old, but Arsenal seemingly hold the edge in the transfer battle with the Bavarians given that Tomori grew up in a family of Gooners.
However, Milan tied Tomori down to a new long-term contract in the summer of 2022, and those terms still have three-and-a-half-years left to run, leaving the Rossoneri in a strong negotiating position.
The report claims that Milan are "reluctant" to part ways with Tomori given his importance to the team and strong form before his injury, but a January move is seemingly off the cards anyway given his recent hamstring problem.
Arsenal could make a move for Tomori's signature at the end of the season, though, especially with the future of Jakub Kiwior up in the air as the Poland international continues to play a bit-part role at the Emirates.
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With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes forming an unbreakable defensive partnership under Arteta, Kiwior has made just four Premier League starts this season, three of which have come as a left-back.
There has been talk of the former Spezia man potentially returning to Serie A on loan midway through the season, with both Milan and Roma believed to be interested, but Arsenal are expected to reject offers for Kiwior in the January transfer window.
The Pole was once again shoe-horned into a full-back role for last weekend's London derby with Fulham in the Premier League, as Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko were both unavailable due to ACL and calf injuries, but he was taken off at half time for the fit-again Takehiro Tomiyasu in that 2-1 defeat.
However, Tomiyasu is now away with the Japan squad at the Asian Cup, meaning that Kiwior could be required at left-back for Sunday's FA Cup clash with Liverpool if Zinchenko fails to recover from his calf concern.
A new left-back is thought to be Arsenal's priority for the January transfer window given their current shortages, although Financial Fair Play regulations means that the Gunners may be restricted to loan deals.
Ben Knapton
