Nottingham Forest’s Lascelles remains a target for the north London club.
Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Nottingham Forest starlet Jamaal Lascelles and have sent chief scout Steve Rowley to watch the defender, according to the Mirror.
The 20-year-old has been on the Gunners’ radar for a number of years after rising through the ranks at Forest, breaking into the first team in 2011.
Lascelles spent a brief period on-loan with Stevenage in 2011/12, but is now an established first team star at the City Ground and has made 15 appearances in all competitions this term.
Liverpool have also shown interest in the England under-20 international in the past, but it is Arsene Wenger who currently leads the chase for the centre-back’s signature.
The north London club are desperate to find recruitment at the back as the current alternatives to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are considered inadequate.
Club captain Thomas Vermaelen has fallen from grace in the past two years and is strongly linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, with Napoli the most likely destination.
Therefore Wenger is looking towards the future and has had great success in recent times nurturing young, British players – such as Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere.
Forest however are understandably keen to hold onto one of their most promising players and will resist any bids for Lascelles, as they make a strong promotion push from the Championship.
It means that any interested party will have to make the club an offer that is too good to refuse to land the Englishman.
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