Arsenal make offer for 31-year-old as Emery eyes 1st January signing

According to reports from Italy via TeamTalk, Arsenal have put forward an offer for centre-back Medhi Benatia but we face a battle to persuade Juventus to cash-in this month.

Unai Emery has seen his options at the back decimated during the first half of the season with Rob Holding ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury while Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal have been out with hamstring injuries.

To make matters worse, Dinos Mavropanos has been out for four months with a groin injury while Laurent Koscielny is still trying to find his best form again having only recently returned from seven months on the sidelines with an Achilles injury.

Sokratis has also had a few niggling problems to deal with so it’s meant Arsenal have had to put-out a patched up defence at times this season and Emery admitted over the weekend he&...