Arsenal and Barcelona Set for January Battle over Marc-Andre ter Stegen - Report

Arsenal and Barcelona have been boosted in their pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with the club reportedly putting him up for sale in January, according to the Metro.

The German international has refused to sign a new contract with the club and is believed to be available for as low as £7m. The Gunners have been keeping a close eye on the stopper for more than 18 months but will be keenly fought by Barcelona who have earmarked the keeper as a replacement for Victor Valdez who is leaving the club next summer.

Gladback have reportedly told all suitors to put in their bids and are expected to sell to the highest bidder before the end of the transfer window.

The Gunners are looking for a back-up to Wojciech Szczesny with Lukasz Fabianski's contract ending next summer and Emiliano Viviano willing to end his loan deal with the Gunners in search of first team football.

Stegen's arrival will give them some much needed strength in depth in that position and keep them defensively solid as they enter the second half of the season. The Gunners are currently top of the table and need a performance of similar proportions in the second half if they have to lift the Premier League trophy.

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is glad to be back after missing out on five months of football with a knee injury. The England international made his only start for the gunners against Aston Villa on the opening day of the season and has not played for the Gunners since.

"It was the first match I've played in five months so it was more about getting the minutes under my belt and getting used to being back on a football pitch," Oxlade-Chamberlain told www.arsenal.com

"On the ball I know I can do a lot better than that but it takes a few weeks, maybe even a month, to get back to your full sharpness. Obviously I wasn't at my full fitness here and it was quite hard, but the main thing was that I got through it and that is a positive. It is just really good to be back," he concluded.