Arsenal have been told to up their bid for Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny.

The Daily Mail says the 6ft 1in centre half, who also qualifies for Poland, has only spent a season with Lorient after joining from Tours for £1.2m but Lorient president Loic Fery is demanding around £6.7m.

That is within Arsenal's reach but Arsene Wenger is reluctant to pay over the odds. He has failed with one offer of £4.2 million this week.

Wenger is determined to land a centre-half before the start of the season and has been linked with a host of stars across Europe.