Arsenal have made contact with Barcelona to understand if defender Jeremy Mathieu is for sale, according to French website SFR Sport.
The Gunners are in desperate need of a new defender after key players suffered injuries in pre-season.
Former Germany international Per Mertesacker will be ruled out for up to five months after undergoing a knee surgery.
And Gabriel Paulista will miss the first six weeks of the season after suffering an ankle problem against Manchester City.
Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi continues to be Arsene Wenger's main target before the end of the transfer window but the Frenchman is evaluating other options as well.
On Friday, the Arsenal boss revealed that he only wants to sign a defender before deadline day as he is happy with his midfield and offensive department.
