Arsenal are reportedly lining up a January bid for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres as they look for a solution to their defensive woes.
If the Gunners want to land 22-year-old Torres it will set them back £43million to trigger his release clause, and it is thought that the club are willing to sanction the move in order to bring some stability to a back line that has shipped 17 goals in the league this season.
That's only three less than struggling Aston Villa and West Ham, who are flirting with relegation, with Arsenal last keeping a clean sheet in early October.
New signing David Luiz has looked shaky since arriving at the Emirates, while Sokratis is blowing hot and cold, with Unai Emery drafting in the lesser experienced Rob Holding in the defeat to Leicester. And supporters know all too well how unreliable Shkodran Mustafi can be.
According to the Sun, Torres is the man Arsenal will turn to to step in and shore things up after impressing this season and making his debut for Spain on Friday.
The youngster marked a dream first cap by scoring after coming on in the second half of the 7-0 thumping of Malta.
Torres started his career with Villarreal but the Spaniard struggled to break through to the first team initially - being sent out on loan to Malaga last season and making the impact he had desired, playing every game of the season in the second division.
He has since returned to his parent club and has nailed himself down in the plans of manager Javier Calleja, who will be reluctant to part ways with a star who has just started to show promise.
Manager Emery is under intense pressure in north London and if he is granted more time to turn Arsenal's season around, he will know that sorting out his defence will be the key to making that happen.
The Gunners have endured an underwhelming campaign, with pundits questioning whether any real progress has been made at the club since Arsene Wenger departed in 2018.
The team find themselves sixth in the Premier League table after three defeats and five draws, having taken 17 points from 12 games. They have just one win in their last five games and trail fourth-placed Man City by eight points.