Arsenal are sparking a transfer scramble for defender William Gallas.

The Times says Arsenal denied yesterday that Ivan Gazidis, the new chief executive, had held talks with Alessio Secco, the Juventus sporting director, about selling the former captain.

Claudio Ranieri, the Juventus coach, knows Gallas well and signed him for £6.2 million from Marseilles while in charge of Chelsea in 2001. AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have also expressed an interest in the 31-year-old, but Arsenal would prefer to do business with the Turin club.