Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is ready to turn Pablo Mari's loan stay at the Emirates into a permanent move.
Reports in France suggested the Gunners wanted Reims centre-back Axel Disasi to bolster their backline.
However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein says Arsenal will not pursue a £13m deal for the 22-year-old as Arteta would prefer to sign a left-footed centre-back and Mari fits the bill.
Central defence has become one of the key areas Arteta wishes to strengthen when the transfer window reopens, with a looming contract crisis in the heart of their defence, with David Luiz, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi all entering the final year of their deals.