Arsenal plotting £4m move for West Ham defender Winston Reid

Arsenal have identified the centre half because they believe West Ham can be persuaded to sell next month rather than lose Reid for nothing in the summer.

Arsenal have watched Reid in every game he has played since November and are ready to make their move.

West Ham are trying to get the 26-year-old to sign a new deal but Reid wants more than £60,000 per week, in addition to a £1million signing-on fee.

The Gunners are also keen on Ipswich left back Tyrone Mings, but his £10m asking price is proving prohibitive, while Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk has also been on the radar since last summer.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan believe that they have struck a deal to sign Lukas Podolski on a six-month loan deal but not until after Arsenal have played at Southampton on New Year’s Day.

Representatives of the Italian club were in London on Saturday and are confident they will soon have Podolski in their ranks. Inter will pay a loan fee of £1.5m.

The unsettled German striker has one year on his Arsenal contract at the end of this season and may not return if his loan is successful.

(dailymail.co.uk)