Arsenal line up £12m swoop for Germany international defender

Arsenal are reportedly lining up a £12 million swoop for Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter, according to the Sun.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is understood to be looking for a young player who is versatile right across the back four this summer, and has identified the Germany international – who has nine caps for his country and was part of their 23-man World Cup winning squad in 2014 – as a potential target.

The French boss is keen to provide more competition in his squad following the club’s second-placed finish in the Premier League in the 2015/16 campaign, and will need to part with around £12 million if he wants to prise the 22-year-old away from last season’s Bundesliga runners-up.

The 6ft 3in centre-back, who can also operate at full-back and in defensive midfield, moved to Dortmund from Freiburg in 2014, and made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants last term, scoring four goals and picking up 10 assists.