Arsenal have held contract talks with defender Reuell Walters as they bid to fend off interest in the 18-year-old from clubs in the Premier League and in Europe.
Walters has been at Arsenal since 2020 and will serve the final six months of his current contract in January.
The highly-rated right-back, who can also play in the centre of defence, is yet to make his senior debut for the Gunners but has been on the bench 13 times, including in the last two games against Luton and Aston Villa.
They are striving to make their Champions League debut on Tuesday against PSV Eindhoven, while Arsenal have already shown themselves to be winners.
Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his team in the Netherlands, with compatriots Amario Cozier-Duberry, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly also expected to be part of the squad.
Arsenal have high hopes for Walters, who has already spent time in the academies of Manchester United and Tottenham, and have held talks with him about a new deal.
But he is also attracting interest from Premier League and European clubs.
Walters has represented England at youth level but he qualifies for a German passport due to his grandmother, which increases his attractiveness to European sides.
He is satisfied at Arsenal, but interested clubs hope he will be tempted to offer him more normal playing time.
There had been interest from sides to take Walters on loan in January, but it is now thought that Arsenal will keep him at the club for the rest of the season due to their defensive issues.
Arsenal have been hampered by back injuries, with Jurrien Timber (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) sidelined. Thomas Partey, who can update at right-back, is also out with a thigh injury.
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