Arsenal prepare January bid for Espanyol defender Hector Moreno

Arsenal are planning a bid for Espanyol defender Hector Moreno in January, as Arsene Wenger looks to bolster his defence, according to the Daily Mail.

The Gunners have lost another defender in the form of Mathieu Debuchy after the Frenchman injured his shoulder against Stoke in Arsenal's 3-0 win at the Emirates. With Laurent Koscielny in and out of the squad with a persistent Achilles injury, the north London club have made signing a defender their top priority in January.

Moreno has made only five appearances thus far this season for the La Liga club and has been watched by Arsenal scout Brian McDermott against Valencia last weekend. The 26-year-old has made multiple appearances for Mexico and was part of the Mexican contingent travelling for the World Cup in Brazil.

The Gunners are also keeping an eye on Winston Reid from West Ham, with the defender's contract set to expire in the summer. Wenger is eager to conclude a cut price deal for the defender and add him to the squad sooner rather than later, with the Gunners set for a major fight to secure a top four spot.

Moreno, will join Per Mertesacker, Koscielny and Calum Chambers in the pecking order to start in the centre of defence. The Gunners have had to use Debuchy and Nacho Monreal to come in for Koscielny as they were brought down to their bare bones with multiple injuries restricting Wenger from fielding his best XI.

The Gunners will face competition from Tottenham, who are also looking to bolster their defence in January, with inconsistency a major obstacle in their race to secure a Champions League spot. Spurs secured a historic 5-3 win over Chelsea on New Year's Day but were foiled by the industry of Crystal Palace where they were beaten 2-1 in the following weekend.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are currently fifth in the league, two points above Spurs while sitting three and one point behind Southampton and Manchester United respectively.