According to the Mirror, Arsenal are drawing up their player shopping list for the summer, and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender is on top of that list, after the German yet again impressed with a quality season at the club.

Arsenal are short on numbers in the squad, and will need to strengthen in multiple areas in the summer. Rival clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are planning big moves, despite the fact that they already possess more firepower in their lineups. With the FIFA World Cup to be held in June, Arsene Wenger will have his eyes open on a list of players, but also continue tracking players who will not be selected for the trip to Brazil. The Gunners lack the presence of a strong holding midfielder who can protect the defence, and distribute play to the playmakers and wingers. This is currently done by Mikel Arteta, but the Spaniard is struggling to cope with the physically demanding nature of the position.

If Bender joins Arsenal, he will have compatriots like Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker, both of who have established their place in Wenger’s starting eleven. The 25-year old has played 127 matches for Leverkusen, and has scored 13 goals for the club, so he has a good future ahead of him as he is only now approaching the peak of his career.