Arsenal chasing £32m Spanish midfielder

Arsenal have joined the race for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez, according to reports.

The Spaniard, who has a £32m get-out clause in his contract, has been attracting interest from Barcelona and Manchester City following the Basque club's impressive campaign.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger sent a senior scout to watch the 23-year-old play in Thursday night's 3-1 Europa League second-leg victory over Sporting Lisbon.

Martinez made his Spain debut against Saudi Arabia in 2010 and has gone on to earn seven international caps.