Arsenal may not be able to sign Tiago Tomas from Sporting Lisbon in the summer transfer window, according to The Sun.
Sporting do not reportedly want to sell Tomas after winning the Portuguese title this season.
Arsenal and Sporting have reportedly been in talks over a potential transfer of the 18-year-old striker for months.
However, now that Sporting have won the league title and will play in the Champions League next season, they are determined not to sell any of their key players except Nuno Mendes.
The Gunners failing to qualify for even the Europa League is credited to be a factor in the deal potentially not going through.
Sporting, like other Portuguese clubs, tend to sell their best players for a lot of money.
Tomas’s reported release clause of £52 million is quite hefty.
However, one can understand why the Portuguese giants do not want to sell the teenager now.
Tomas has huge potential, with AS claiming earlier this month that Sporting think that he is a generational talent who can emulate Cristiano Ronaldo, as covered by HITC Sport.
If that is the case, then playing well in the Champions League would enhance the reputation of the Portugal Under-21 international even more.
Sporting could then hand Tomas a new contract and increase the release clause even further.
If Tomas is as good as Sporting believe him to be, then it is only a matter of time before he is sold.
The newly-crowned Portuguese champions are probably just playing the long game with Tomas.
Tomas made 16 starts and 14 substitute appearances in the league this season.
The youngster scored three goals and have one assist in those games.
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