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Aston Villa are battling to keep Fabian Delph.

Arsenal and Everton are among those closely monitoring the situation of the new England midfielder.

The 24-year-old has been offered a new deal by the Villans to prevent him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

But he has yet to sign the bumper contract – a fact noted by the Gunners' manager Arsene Wenger and Roberto Martinez, his counterpart at the Goodison Park club.

Wenger has an abundance of midfielders, but his squad – Mathieu Flamini apart – lacks an energetic, ball­-winner such as Delph.

Wenger will try to bridge that gap in January. He is also impressed by Southampton’s Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin, as well as Borussia Dortmund’s Sven Bender of Borussia Dortmund.