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Arsenal are monitoring highly rated Greek ­defender Kyriakos ­Papadopoulos.

Manager Arsene Wenger wants to strengthen the centre of his defence this summer and has also been trailing Swansea’s Ashley Williams.

But there has been little progress over a deal for Williams and Schalke star Papadopoulos is viewed as a potential alternative, along with Saint-Etienne teenager Kurt Zouma­.

Liverpool and Chelsea have also been tracking 21-year-old Papadopoulos, who has been capped 16 times by Greece.

Schalke have been publicly ­claiming ­interested clubs would have to meet the £19million buy-out clause to sign ­Papadopoulos.

But sources close to the player and the German club believe he could leave for £13million.

Zouma, 18, has been the subject of interest of ­Liverpool and Chelsea and would cost ­£8.5million.

Arsenal are confident of sealing a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo ­Higuain.

And they are also looking at a host of midfielders, ­including Everton’s ­Marouane ­Fellaini, Lars Bender and Blaise Matuidi, who only has a year to run on his Paris Saint-Germain ­contract.