Arsenal have been heavily linked with Atletico Madrid star Thomas Partey, but the huge price on his head means the Gunners may have to identify backup targets.
Mikel Arteta wants to find a new midfielder, and a player who can protect his back four with smart positioning, reading of the game and destroying qualities appears to be wanted.
Partey can bring that, but Arsenal are being linked with alternatives – and ESPN claim that Porto star Danilo Pereira is one player on their radar.
A deal worth around €20million (£18million) is being eyed by Arsenal, with talks coming in the near future as Arsenal desperately seek to add some steel in midfield.
Pereira, 28, has racked up almost 200 appearances for Porto, whilst also earning 37 caps for Portugal having impressed in recent years.
If his name seems familiar to some Arsenal fans, then it may be because he was a top target for the Gunners during Arsene Wenger’s time in charge of the club.
Correio da Manha reported in January 2017 that Wenger’s Arsenal had been fans of Pereira for some time, and were hoping to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
No move materialised, but more than three years on, Arsenal are back in for Pereira once again. Wenger may have moved on, but the interest remains.
Partey will understandably be the priority, but they could certainly do a lot worse than Pereira – and finally bring a Wenger target to North London after all.
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