Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Mario Gotze is a target for Arsenal, after the youngster starred against the Gunners last night in their Champions League group stage match up.

Arsenal defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 and have guaranteed qualification into the next stage of the European tournament, as well as the top spot in Group F.

And while Gotze was on the losing side of the tie, with Dortmund now bottom of the group and looking very unlikely to qualify for the last 16, Wenger heaped praise on the 19 year old for his performance against one of England's top teams.

"For me, Mario Gotze is a player for the future," Wenger told German TV station SAT1 TV.

"He is very talented, has a great attitude. It's no surprise to me that all big European clubs show interest in him, as we do also."

Arsenal's confirmation of interest in the youngster ends speculation that has been surrounding Gotze for some time now, and the Gunners will be amongst a host of clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, who are chasing the star.

Gotze is said to be worth around £30 million, and Arsenal had reportedly made a bid for the Germany international in the summer, though the deal was turned down by Dortmund. The midfielder's agent Volker Struth even went so far as to recently say that he believed his client would stay put for the next two years, in the hopes of getting more professional experience.

Arsenal suffered a disappointing start to their season, with the club suffering from the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. But the side have picked themselves up in brilliant fashion, and Robin van Persie has lead the charge with 17 goals across all competitions this season.

After the match with Dortmund, Wenger said that the Gunners have achieved a consistency that will see them through their tough periods.

"I always said the group of players are willing, intelligent and focused and we can see that because we are consistent so overall I am very happy," he explained.

"We are in a very difficult group and we can see that again tonight with Olympiakos winning in Marseille. I'm very proud that we came top of the group."

Looking forward, Arsenal face Fulham this weekend, followed by a showdown with title leaders Manchester City at home on Tuesday night in the Carling Cup. The north London side will be looking to test themselves against the best in their league while their form continues at a top-class rate.