Arsenal 'leading Manchester United in race for Juventus defender Merih Demiral'

Arsenal have reportedly pulled ahead of Manchester United in the race to complete the signing of Juventus defender Merih Demiral in this month's transfer window.

Despite joining the club over the summer, the Turkey international is said to be keen on forcing a move away over January after managing just three Serie A appearances since August.

Reports have strongly linked Arsenal with looking to sign a defender over the January window as Mikel Arteta aims to shore up the club's defence.

According to Fotomac, the Gunners are currently leading the race to complete a deal for Demiral this month.

Having only signed Demiral for £15m in the summer, Juventus are set to make a considerable profit on the player by demanding a fee of £42.5m.

Arsenal's need for reinforcements at the back has been amplified by Calum Chambers suffering a ruptured ACL, which looks set to rule him out for nine months.