Arsenal are keeping close tabs on West Ham United centre-back Issa Diop ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports.

Football Insider report that an Arsenal source has informed them the club have lined up “regular transfer missions” for the player ahead of the January window. The Gunners are evidently keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old defender as they look to strengthen their back line.

So far this season, Arsenal have been relying on a partnership between David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and it’s fair to say the pair haven’t always been that reliable.

Though Rob Holding is still to come back into the mix and William Saliba will return to Arsenal at the end of the season after his loan, the pair are relatively untested right now. We don’t know how well Holding will play in the long term after his ACL injury, and Saliba is still very inexperienced.

Calum Chambers appears to be back out at right-back for the time being, Shkodran Mustafi is out of favour and Konstantinos Mavropanos is still with the u23s after his seemingly neverending injury setbacks. It’s certainly possible Arsenal will look to invest in another centre-back.

Football Insider claim the Gunners are looking for a long-term option in the position, and Diop’s age and performances since joining West Ham suggest he could fit the bill.