Sunderland boss Steve Bruce faces a battle to keep hold of star skipper Lorik Cana.

The Daily Mail says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has not given up hope of signing Cana, despite the Albanian midfielder moving to Sunderland this summer.

Cana was tracked by Wenger last season and the Arsenal boss could make a fresh move next year.

The Barclays Premier League's first Albanian footballer has made a huge impression on Wearside since his £5m switch from Marseilles in July, forming a tough-tackling partnership with Lee Cattermole in central midfield.

Arsenal are still in the hunt for a steely central midfielder to complement the silky skills of Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin, which led them to Cana. Everton and Liverpool also kept tabs on the player last year and could be tempted to rejoin the race.