Arsenal are set to trigger the £32 million buyout clause in the contract of Atlético de Madrid forward Diego Costa, according to the Daily Star.
It claims that manager Arsène Wenger has targeted the 25 year-old as his marquee signing for January.
With Yaya Sanogo injured and Park Chu-Young out of favour, the veteran tactician has been left with just Nicklas Bendtner and Lukas Podolski as alternatives to first choice forward Olivier Giroud.
With winning the Premier League title for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign a realistic ambition, Wenger is hoping to address his lack of attacking options in the transfer window, with Costa, who has scored 20 goals in 23 appearances this season, his priority.
Whether the Brazilian-born forward would accept a move to Arsenal at this stage is unclear. He rejected a switch to Liverpool prior to agreeing a new deal over the summer and with Atlético well positioned in both La Liga and the Champions League, he may want to see out the campaign.
Should Costa reject Arsenal, then the Daily Star claims Lille forward Salomon Kalou is Wenger’s first choice alternative.
