Arsenal are preparing £4m bid for West Ham United defender Winston Reid

Arsenal are reportedly planning to make a bid for West Ham United defender Winston Reid when the January transfer window opens.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger has had the New Zealand defender watched regularly this season and is impressed with what he has heard. The Gunners manager also got a front row view of the defender's talent when Arsenal faced the Hammers on Sunday.

The Frenchman is desperate to strengthen his back line during the upcoming transfer window, after defensive injuries hampered the north London club's start to the 2014/15 Premier League season.

The West Ham defender is on the final year of his contract and is yet to agree to an extension, which means he can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside England. However, the Arsenal hierarchy are confident that they can convince the Upton Park outfit to sell their player rather than lose him for free during the summer.

The Hammers are keen to hold on to the player, but Reid has reportedly demanded a £1m signing on fee and £60,000-a-week in wages, which the club are reluctant to pay. Apart from Arsenal, Premier League rivals Liverpool are also said to be monitoring developments.

The Emirates Stadium outfit is preparing a bid in the region of £4m to sign the New Zealand international defender in January.

Wenger has been linked to various central defenders following his admission that he will sign a defender to provide cover for Laurent Kocielny and Per Mertesacker, who are currently the manager's favoured pairing at the back.

In recent months, Arsenal have been linked to Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings and Celtic's Virgil van Dijk as potential targets, and despite the manager admitting interest in the former, he has quashed suggestions of signing him next month.