According to The Independent, Arsenal are now plotting a part-exchange deal to sign Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia this month.
It’s claimed that Buendia is a prime target for Arsenal as they seek more creativity, and early discussions have been held with his agent about a potential deal.
The problem is that Norwich want a staggering £40million for Buendia, and with Arsenal needing to offload players, a part-exchange could materialise.
Midfielder Joe Willock or winger Reiss Nelson are thought to be on offer to Norwich in order to bring down the asking price.
Offering either player would seemingly iron out any issues in the deal, with Norwich potentially keen on taking one of them to Carrow Road.
Buendia was a creative force in the Premier League last season, racking up 83 key passes; only Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne registered more.
The Argentinian’s ability to play as a number 10 or on either flank would be appealing to Mikel Arteta, as he can still use Buendia in a number of positions without impacting the development of Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe or Bukayo Saka.
Nelson has been a bit-part player this season with just 70 minutes of Premier League action, with Willock much more of a regular under Arteta.
Sending either on a permanent basis seems like a strange move given their potential, but they may just have to do it in order to lure Buendia to North London.
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