Arsenal told to up £25m bid for Dortmund star

Arsenal have been told they will have to smash their transfer record to land Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze.

The Gunners were hoping to agree a £25m fee now and tie up the deal when the transfer window re-opens in January – but the Bundesliga champions have told them they will not accept anything less than £30m.

Arsene Wenger, keen to add quality to his midfield following the summer departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, is desperate to land one of the hottest talents in Europe and has made his move now in a bid to head off interest from
Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The potential signing of Gotze and other quality additions to the squad could be seen as a real statement of intent and Wenger hopes it could also persuade skipper Robin van Persie to commit his long-term future to the club.

Van Persie, who has been in formidable form this year, has 18 months left on his current contract and is expected to leave next summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.