Arsenal have secured a €13 million (£11.4 million) deal for Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen, according to reports in his native Belgium.
Arsene Wenger has been chasing the 23-year-old as he looks to strengthen his defensive options and has apparently now agreed a transfer fee with Ajax.
Het Laatste Nieuws reports that the two clubs reached an agreement on Saturday and that Vermaelen is now close to signing a four-year contract with The Gunners.
If the deal is confirmed then the defender will become the second most expensive Belgian player of all time, with Everton’s €20 million deal for Marouane Fellaini still the benchmark.
Wenger admitted 12 months ago that he was looking for a new defender but the only new arrival last August was Manchester United veteran Mikael Silvestre.
And with the future of both William Gallas and Kolo Toure the subject of speculation in recent months, the imminent arrival of Vermaelen will go a long way to placating fans who have been calling for more investment in the side.