Well, Arsenal might have to contend with unwanted competition from Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Arthur Melo.
The Gunners are reportedly close to signing the Juventus midfielder on a half-season loan, with Arthur keen to join the Emirates Stadium outfit [The Daily Mail].
However, Tuttomercatoweb reported on Thursday that the Brazilian had actually been also offered to Tottenham, their North London rivals.
And ironically, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel could have an enormous influence in whether the player winds up joining Arsenal.
On Thursday, Sky Italia reported that Juve want to sign Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
And if the German manager greenlights that transfer, for Loftus-Cheek to join the Italian outfit, it could potentially accelerate Arthur’s move to North London.
That’s because Arthur – who cost £66 million in 2020 – and Loftus-Cheek are both midfielders and if Juventus have a replacement signed, sealed and delivered, it’s likely to offset the latter’s switch to the Emirates.
Paratici’s a threat
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham are legitimately interested but you have to say, they need a midfielder of Arthur’s ilk.
And if the Lilywhites’ managing director Fabio Paratici is genuinely keen then it’s a massive concern for Mikel Arteta and Edu.
Paratici is bound to have a healthy relationship with Arthur and Juve, having been an enormous success in Turin prior to moving to the Premier League last summer.
Despite the constant speculation about Arsenal, it’s far from guaranteed that he becomes a Gunner.
Tuchel could potentially have the final say on this ever-developing saga.
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