Reports in France and Italy claim that AC Milan have joined Bundelisga club Bayer Leverkusen in the race to sign Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny.

According to L’Equipe, Koscielny is stalling on a new contract with Arsenal and is ‘tempted’ by the idea of a new challenge.

The newspaper writes Milan have ‘recently made contact’ with the 33-year-old but notes Bayer Leverkusen are ‘most interested’ at this stage.

The Frenchman has spent the past nine years at Arsenal, making over 400 appearances and winning three FA Cups.