Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, according to reports.
The Mail Online say the Gunners are in discussions over a loan move for the 25-year-old, who is keen to make the switch to north London in order to get more playing time.
But the club are waiting on Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri to give the deal the all clear, with a decision reportedly set to be made after tonight’s Supercoppa final against Inter Milan, according to Sky Sports.
And Football.London say Arsenal are “hopeful” of signing Arthur on loan until the end of this season, with technical director Edu long holding interest in the midfielder.
The Brazillian has made just seven league appearances for Juve this season having joined the club from Barcelona in 2020 in a deal which saw Miralem Pjanic go in the other direction.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is currently short of midfield options after Granit Xhaka tested positive for Covid-19 and with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny both away at the African Cup of Nations.
Asked about the possibility of January additions, Arteta said: “What I really want this month is that we have as many players as possible fit and healthy and that we do the best and maximum with those players.
“After we have a strategy of how we want to evolve and improve the team, and whenever that is possible we are going to try to do it.
“We all know that this market is extremely difficult.”