Arsenal line up move for young French striker Yaya Sanogo

WITH Arsenal having a few days off before their next defeat, the Daily Mirror reports that Arsene Wenger has used the time to pop over to France in search of fresh talent - and apparently the Nutty Professor's gaze has alighted on Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo.

First alerted to the 20-year-old ace by head scout Gilles Grimandi, Wenger travelled to Paris in the hope of tying up a deal for the France Under-21 international who has averaged a goal a game this season.

The 6ft 3in Auxerre frontman is out of contract in June and it's believed he won't sign again with the second division club now they're almost certain to miss out on promotion to the first division. Lille are also said to be interested in the lanky striker but apparently Wenger is determined to get his hands on Sanogo this summer.

One striker who would rather not move to the Emirates is Italian Alessandro Matri, who has scotched rumours that he is looking for a way out from Juventus. The 28-year-old, who was a fixture in the side last season, has only featured in 16 games this term, but told Tuttosport that he did not want to leave Turin.

But Arsenal are rumoured to have had him watched and may try to lure him to London if he slips any further down the pecking order, says Talksport.

Tottenham are said to be getting ready to slug it out with Liverpool for the hand of Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen. The Evening Standard reports that the 21-year-old Dane has refused to sign a new contract with the Dutch club and is almost certainly going to move to England over the summer. The question remains: to which club?

The Standard claims Liverpool and Spurs have sent scouts to watch Eriksen "almost every week", as Arsenal were also said to have done last season. Now, however, Wenger believes Eriksen is too similar in style to Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere.

So it comes down to a shootout between the Reds and the Lilywhites, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy apparently "confident" of driving down Ajax's £14m asking price to around £8m. The Standard quotes an Ajax insider as saying: "The club will not let him go cheaply so there is a long way to go but it seems likely he will move to Tottenham or Liverpool."

Still with Tottenham and Talksport reckons that they are "lining up" a summer bid for Italian goalkeeper Marco Silvestri. Though Hugo Lloris was bought from Lyon in the summer, manager Andre Villas-Boas is after another shot-stopper what with Brad Friedel about to turn 42.

Though on the books of Chievo, the 21-year-old Silvestri has been on loan at Serie B outfit Padova this season and it's there that he's come to the attention of Tottenham scouts. Talksport says that the London club are poised to open negotiations with Silvestri's representatives.

Finally, Goal.com reports that Borussia Dortmund are pleading ignorance over reports linking them to Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko. The Bosnia international has made no secret of his desire to return to the Bundesliga after a successful four-year spell with Wolfsburg between 2007 and 2011.

But asked about a possible deal for Dzeko, Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke stormed: "This is total nonsense and not funny anymore." Pressed to reveal why the thought of Dzeko joining Dortmund was nonsense, he said: "Dzeko is a good player but he is sadly out of our possibilities."  ·