Arsenal are set to expand their scouting network in Germany in an attempt to lure the next crop of talented youngsters to the Emirates.

With the country having produced some of the most skillful and coveted players of recent years not to mention Wenger’s reputation for developing players the club and chief scout Steve Rowley have been spending an increasing amount of time and money in order to further expand the scouting network.

The Daily Mail claim that the plans will be implemented soon, noting that “the Gunners have already found the country a valuable breeding ground for talent,” with Podolski, Mertesacker and youngsters Thomas Eisfeld and Serge Gnabry also at the club. Wenger is a known fan of other German internationals having monitored many of the current German crop including Ozil and Sahin extensively before missing out on their signatures.

With Podolski already making waves in the Premier League, Serge Gnabry is hot on his fellow countryman’s heels with the 17 year old set to make an appearance during the Capitol One Cup match on Tuesday night, with the player himself looking to build on his growing reputation, confiding “I hope I can create some chances of score goals and that will give them more to talk about.”

The Gunners will however be without Gervinho, who is set to miss the weekend showdown with Manchester United after being ruled out with an ankle injury sustained in the previous game against QPR with the Mirror reporting that a second string will be fielded in the Capital One Cup with “Oxlade-Chamberlain unlikely to be risked even if he is fit.”