Arsenal monitoring Dries Mertens with Belgian international also linked with Bayern Munich

Arsenal are interested in signing Napoli forward Dries Mertens who has been touted by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

The 32-year-old has one year left on his contract with the Italian club and is reportedly been allowed to leave in the upcoming transfer window.

The Gunners are looking to back new manager Mikel Arteta who has his sights set on signing the Belgian international in a bid to bring Arsenal back to the top four.

Reports suggest that Mertens would be available in the January transfer window for as little as £8.5m as Napoli look in to cash in on the ageing forward.

Despite being on the other side of 30, the striker has been influential for Napoli during his tenure at the club since moving there in 2013 from PSV Eindhoven for a measly £8m.

Mertens has scored 118 goals and assisted 71 in 303 games which include the 9 goals and 4 assists he has put up in 21 games for a struggling Napoli side.

His goal record for the club is phenomenal and is only 4 goals away from being the club’s most prolific scorer with his former teammate Marek Hamsik sitting atop of the charts with 121 goals for Napoli.

Arsenal, who are in a dismal 11th place in the Premier League, have been struggling for goals despite having attacking talents such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe.

The Gunners have only scored 24 goals in 18 goals and are far behind compared to rivals and 4th placed side Chelsea who have scored 33 goals- the least in the top four.

With Aubameyang, who is the club captain, reportedly looking to leave from the Emirates as he has yet to sign a new deal, Mertens could be a quick stop-gap for Arteta.

Arsenal’s lack of ability to score this season was very evident by the last game against Everton, which was a game where Arteta was in the stands.

It finished 0-0 with both sides unable to create any great goalscoring opportunities which Mertens could help solve.

The Belgian international, who has 18 goals in 90 appearances for his country, is able to play as either a striker or a centre-forward.

Arsenal will have to battle out Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in order to land the services of Mertens as the German clubs are looking at strengthing their squad in a bid to win the Bundesliga.