Arsenal Track Celtic Midfielder - Report

Arsenal have stepped up interest in Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama. The Daily Mail reports the Gunners had scouts at Parkhead during the Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday evening.

Arsene Wenger is believed to be considering the Kenyan to fill the void left by Cameroon midfielder Alex Song in the summer, when the 25-year-old left for Spanish side Barcelona. Wenger has also been linked to Etienne Capoue of Toulouse as a possible alternative for Song. West Ham United's Mohamed Diame has also been linked with the switch to the Emirates.

In any case, the Mail claims Arsenal's chief scout, Steve Rowley, watched 21-year-old Wanyama. Unfortunately for the youngster, it wasn't his best performance. Neil Lennon's men slumped to a poor 0-3 defeat at home in the first leg and face an almost impossible task to turn the tie around next week, in Italy.

Wanyama came to the attention of several of Europe's top clubs after impressive performances in the group stages of the Champions League, particularly in the home game against Barcelona. The Kenyan was in inspired defensive form when the Catalans came visiting and even scored the only goal of the game, to give Celtic a historic win.

Should Wenger push through on his interest, he will likely face competition from Premier League leaders Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to have personally scouted Wanyama late in January; Goal.com reports the 71-year-old Scot was seen in the stands as Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0, with Wanyama scoring once.

Walcott Confident of Top Four Chances

Meanwhile, Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has revealed he is confident the Gunners will finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, allowing the north London club to continue playing in the Champions League. However, the 23-year-old warned his team mates they needed to show as much dedication and concentration as they did in the weekend's 1-0 win at Sunderland.

"We're very confident [of finishing in the top four]. We can battle through any sort of situation. The teams around us are winning as well, but we've just got to make sure we look after ourselves and try to win as often as we can. We'll see where we are at the end of the season but we've got to show the belief we did at Sunderland. I felt there were a lot of winners in that dressing room and the boys were fantastic," the English international told the club's Web site.