Arsenal have reportedly made significant progress with an approach to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha.
Last week, it was revealed that the Gunners were on the brink of signing Porto playmaker Fabio Vieira, seemingly fulfilling the objective of Mikel Arteta to find a new playmaker.
Furthermore, Arsenal are known to want to sign another centre forward to challenge Eddie Nketiah, who has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium.
If reports are to be believed, Arteta is intent on signing Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, a player who he knows well from his time at the Etihad Stadium.
However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have been in direct negotiations with Leeds regarding the transfer of Raphinha.
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After impressing during his two years at Elland Road, it is widely expected that the Brazilian will be allowed to depart the Yorkshire giants for the right price.
Barcelona are long-term admirers of the player, yet cannot currently afford his asking price, while Tottenham Hotspur are said to be monitoring any developments regarding his future.
Nevertheless, Romano suggests that Arsenal have stepped up their interest in the 25-year-old, a claim which has been backed up by Goal.
That outlet says that the North London outfit could be on the brink of signing Raphinha within the coming days, the claim being that the player is not prepared to wait to see if Barcelona are able to complete a deal before the end of August.
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Romano has previously stated that Raphinha's release clause stands at €75m (£64.5m), a fee that any interested club will likely attempt to reduce during negotiations.
In his latest update, Romano hints that Leeds may be prepared to do business at €65m (£55.9m), a fee which may be on offer elsewhere if Arsenal do not meet that valuation.
Chelsea are another club who are said to be taking notice of any developments, although it has been suggested recently that the Blues are ready to focus their attention on trying to sign Man City's Raheem Sterling for a lower price.
Raphinha, who has two years remaining on his contract, has contributed 17 goals and 11 assists since joining Leeds in 2020.
His form for his current club has also led to international recognition with Brazil, the creator scoring three goals from nine outings.
Darren Plant
