Arsenal have identified Fabian Schar and Marcel Tisserand as potential defensive targets, according to France Football.
Recent reports have claimed that the Gunners will sign Shkodran Mustafi next week but manager Arsene Wenger is still keeping an eye of other central defenders just in case he fails to land the Germany international.
On Thursday, Wenger told reporters that a central defender is still a priority ahead of the last few weeks of the transfer window.
"It [a new defender] was important before the game [against Leicester City] already," Wenger explained.
"You do not sign players because you think it is important or not. I believe it is very difficult to identify people and find them.
"We have many examples in England of teams that spend a huge amount of money looking for central defenders. That is why everyone is in the market for the same players and very few players as well.
"If you look at the whole transfer market, very little happens on the whole. It is about the availability of players.
"There is a huge amount of money for average players - there are plenty available. But to find the players that will strengthen your squad is much more difficult."
