Battle on for French ace

Arsenal could be set to battle it out with Chelsea for the signature of Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

The 23-year-old caught the eye of the big clubs last season as he guided Montpellier to the French title and both Arsenal and Chelsea are being heavily linked with a move for the player. Montpellier will struggle to keep hold as he only has 12 months left on his contract and they do not want to risk losing him for nothing next year. They would be willing to cash in before Friday's deadline but it would take a fee of £7million to secure a deal for the French international, who can play at full-back as well as in central defence. Both clubs had scouts present as Montpellier lost 1-0 to Marseille on Sunday and a bid could be imminent.