Arsenal are already planning for the 2018/19 season with Freiburg centre-back Caglar Soyuncu their first target, reports the Daily Mail.
Talks between the two clubs are underway with the Gunners head of recruitment Sven Mislintat keen to push the deal through.
The Turkey international is valued at £30m by the Bundesliga strugglers. Currently 14th and five points clear of the relegation places, Freiburg are keen to reach an agreement for a wider rebuild of their squad.
Mislintat is keen to stamp his authority across the north London club having overseen a successful January transfer window.
Arsenal are the first club to make their interest known to Freiburg despite interest from Liverpool, Roma, and Manchester City over the last year. Manchester United and Chelsea also declined to take their interest further.
The north London club sent scouts to watch the central defender as he appeared for the 13th time as Turkey beat the Republic of Ireland during the recent international break.
The 21-year-old signed for Freiburg in 2016 for £2.5m from Turkish second division side Altinordu.
After a tough adaptation, the rangy defender quickly became one of the Bundesliga’s most highly-rated centre-backs, with pundits comparing him to Germany international Mats Hummels.
The Gunners defence is in desperate need of an overhaul. Laurent Koscielny, 32 and increasingly injury-prone is struggling to complete a season while Per Mertesacker takes over as head of Arsenal’s academy in the summer.
Fans and coaches aren’t convinced by Shkodran Mustafi, 25, while Hector Bellerin, 22, is coveted by a number of Europe’s elite clubs.
Soyuncu emerged as a preferred alternative to West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans, 31, who will be available for £3m when the Baggies are relegated from the Premier League at the end of this season.
